CBC/Radio Canada annual report 2005-2006

Transcription

CBC/Radio Canada annual report 2005-2006
C B C | R A D I O - C A N A DA A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 0 5 – 2 0 0 6
STRIKING THE
RIGHT BALANCE
IN AN ERA OF THOUSANDS OF
CHANNELS, STATIONS, AND SITES,
HOW WILL WE CONTINUE TO REMAIN
ESSENTIAL TO CANADIANS? BY
FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO BALANCE
COMPETING, SOMETIMES SEEMINGLY
CONTRADICTORY, NEEDS.
IT’S ALL ABOUT BALANCE.
CONTINUITY
THROUGHOUT CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S 70-YEAR HISTORY, THE CORE OF OUR MANDATE HAS NOT
CHANGED: TO OFFER DISTINCTIVE CANADIAN PROGRAMMING THAT REFLECTS THE RICHNESS AND
DIVERSITY OF CANADA, ITS REGIONS AND ITS PEOPLE, AND THAT HELPS SHAPE CANADIAN IDENTITY.
WHILE OUR MANDATE REMAINS THE SAME IN ESSENCE, CANADA’S DEMOGRAPHIC MAKE-UP
CONTINUES TO CHANGE, THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF OUR AUDIENCES CONTINUE TO EVOLVE,
AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES EMERGE CONSTANTLY. TO REMAIN RELEVANT, CBC | RADIO-CANADA
ALSO MUST EVOLVE WITH — AND EVEN AHEAD OF — OUR AUDIENCES’ NEEDS, AND ADAPT TO
THE POSSIBILITIES PRESENTED BY EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
AS WE WORK TO PRESERVE THOSE ELEMENTS THAT HAVE HALLMARKED US, WE MUST TAKE
RISKS, TRY NEW THINGS AND CHALLENGE OUR AUDIENCES WITH PROGRAMMING THEY MIGHT NOT
EXPECT FROM THEIR NATIONAL PUBLIC BROADCASTER.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
CHANGE
1
BALANCING OUR PAST, EMBRACING THE FUTURE
TO REMAIN RELEVANT, CBC | RADIO-CANADA
NEEDS TO REACH MORE CANADIANS IN MORE WAYS, PROVIDING THEM WITH THE NEWS, INFORMATION AND
PRESERVE
H E R FA V O U R I T E P R O G R A M H A S B E E N O N T H E A I R F O R Y E A R S ,
AND SHE HOPES IT CONTINUES FOR YEARS TO COME.
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ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMMING THEY WANT — WHEN, WHERE AND HOW THEY WANT IT. AT THE SAME TIME,
IF HE CAN’T DOWNLOAD IT TO
HIS IPOD, HE’S NOT INTERESTED.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
INNOVATE
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
WE NEED TO RETAIN THE QUALITIES THAT HAVE EARNED THE LOYALTY OF OUR TRADITIONAL AUDIENCES.
3
REFLECTING CANADA TO CANADIANS, AND TO THE WORLD
AS CANADA’S NATIONAL PUBLIC
BROADCASTER, CBC | RADIO-CANADA REFLECTS THE COUNTRY’S CULTURAL AND REGIONAL DIVERSITY WHILE AT
H E W A N T S S T O R I E S A B O U T H I S C O M M U N I T Y.
HOME
4
THE SAME TIME BRINGING CANADIANS TOGETHER THROUGH EXPRESSIONS OF SHARED VALUES AND ASPIRATIONS.
AWAY
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
SHE’S MORE INTERESTED
IN A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE ON
I N T E R N AT I O N A L E V E N T S .
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
IN AN ERA OF GLOBALISATION, WE ALSO BRING THE WORLD TO CANADIANS, AND CANADIANS TO THE WORLD.
5
WHY NOT BOTH?
AS THE NATIONAL PUBLIC BROADCASTER, WE HAVE A MANDATE TO SERVE ALL
CITIZENS WITH A RANGE OF DISTINCTIVE CANADIAN PROGRAMMING THAT INFORMS, ENLIGHTENS AND
ENTERTAINS. FROM NATION-BINDING EVENTS LIKE THE OLYMPICS AND HOCKEY, TO DRAMA AND PERFORMING
POPULAR
H E W A N T S P R O G R A M S T H AT E N T E R TA I N H I M A N D M A K E H I M L A U G H .
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ARTS PROGRAMS THAT CANADIANS WON’T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE AND IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS, CBC | RADIO-CANADA IS THE PLACE CANADIANS TURN TO FOR COMPELLING CANADIAN
ARTFUL
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
SHE WANTS COMPELLING CANADIAN DRAMA
AND PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAMMING.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
STORIES AND PERSPECTIVES.
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HERE’S THE CHALLENGE FOR
CBC | RADIO-CANADA: TO CONNECT
CANADIANS TO THEIR COMMUNITIES,
THEIR COUNTRY AND THE WORLD
THROUGH COMPELLING CANADIAN
CONTENT – WITH LIMITED RESOURCES.
HOW ARE WE MEETING THE CHALLENGE?
BY ADAPTING TO CANADA’S EVOLVING
CULTURAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC MAKE-UP.
BY CHANGING THE WAYS WE THINK
ABOUT OUR AUDIENCES AND OUR
PROGRAMMING. BY FINDING NEW WAYS
TO FOSTER CREATIVITY AND RISK-TAKING.
BY BALANCING COMPETING NEEDS.
BALANCE IS CHALLENGING.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chairman’s Message
10
Board of Directors
11
President and CEO’s Message
12
Vision, Mission, Values
14
Corporate Priorities
15
Key Performance Indicators
16
36
CBC | Radio-Canada Services
42
Behind the Scenes
44
Public Accountability
50
Governance
52
Financial Pages
55
BALANCE IS
ESSENTIAL.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
The International Scene
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Media Lines’ Objectives and Results 18
9
CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE
It was not without apprehension that I accepted to chair CBC | Radio-Canada’s Board of Directors.
The responsibility of leading the Board of one of the country’s largest cultural institutions simply
seemed beyond my capabilities. Yet, since October 2005, I have been settling into my duties.
CBC | Radio-Canada has played a defining role in my professional life. I began my career as
a journalist here in 1958, and went on to pursue another career as a writer. I freelanced
exclusively for CBC | Radio-Canada until 1980, when I took up hosting and writing duties in
private television, and then became a broadcaster when I launched a second private Frenchlanguage television network. This lengthy foray into the private sector helped me understand
CBC | Radio-Canada’s vital leadership role in setting benchmarks for quality that have kept
Canadian radio and television at the top of the game.
For instance, thanks to Télévision de Radio-Canada, we were able to begin talking about culture in
Québec. It was neither American nor French, but French-speaking North American. It could ensure the
cultural survival of French speakers in and outside Québec, for whom French-language television and
radio were, and still are, a daily staple. In French-speaking Canada, television was the catalyst for a social
and cultural explosion, the preferred – often sole – means of expression for our artists and writers, and
the spark that ignited cultural self-fulfilment.
By reflecting our diversity, celebrating our achievements, and constantly asking questions,
CBC | Radio-Canada has helped shape our country, building bridges between the regions and
communities much like the railway did over a century ago.
Today, CBC | Radio-Canada is at a crucial juncture. Canada’s audiovisual landscape has greatly
changed, and many more changes loom on the horizon for the coming years. Canada has also changed.
Its demographics have shifted, along with its centres of gravity and decision-making. The West has
become just as important as Ontario and Québec. Alberta’s gas and oil riches, coupled with emerging
trade opportunities in Asia, will only strengthen this trend.
Our primary challenge lies in reflecting this new reality, and we must rise to it if we want to remain
relevant. Through its News, Current Affairs and entertainment programming, CBC | Radio-Canada must
ensure that all Canadians find a place in society, while living their lives well-informed and in a spirit of
cooperation. CBC | Radio-Canada must also help develop social cohesion so that our minority and
majority groups can join forces to secure social and economic progress for Canada.
The time is particularly ripe, therefore, to reflect on the public broadcaster’s role and mandate. Do we
want a healthy Canadian culture on our airwaves? Do we want to preserve a broadcasting space for our
own voices and ideas where we can showcase our homegrown talent and individuality, and where we can
continue helping to write the great Canadian story every day?
CBC | Radio-Canada has been driving our culture and striking a balance between the country’s varied
interests since 1936. Far from waning, I believe our role is growing more important with each passing
day. Because the country is becoming more complex, it is more difficult to find solutions for the issues
we face, and the proliferation of communications and information platforms only reaffirms the need for a
coherent, responsible public broadcaster that values integrity.
In closing, I would like to sincerely thank all members of CBC | Radio-Canada’s Board of Directors.
Each has made invaluable contributions throughout the year, and I know that our public broadcaster
and Senior Management can rely on each of them.
GUY FOURNIER
C H A I R M A N , B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S
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B OA R D O F D I R E C TO R S
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Guy Fournier, C.M.
Hélène F. Fortin, C.A.
Howard McNutt
Chairman, Board of Directors
Partner
Partner
Saint-Paul-d’Abbotsford, Québec
HLA Chartered Accountants
Goluch + Company
Longueuil/Brossard, Québec
Halifax, Nova Scotia
President and CEO
Peter Herrndorf, O.C.
Trina McQueen, O.C.
Ottawa, Ontario
President and CEO
Professor, Broadcast Management
National Arts Centre
Schulich School of Business
Ottawa, Ontario
York University
Marketing Professor
Toronto, Ontario
HEC Montréal
Yasmin Jivraj
Montréal, Québec
President and Co-owner
K. (Rai) Sahi
Acrodex
Chairman and CEO
Edmonton, Alberta
Morguard Corporation
Bernd Christmas
Chief Executive Officer
Membertou Band
Nezhat Khosrowshahi
Membertou, Nova Scotia
Inwest Investments Inc.
Vancouver, British Columbia
Toronto, Ontario
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Johanne Brunet
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Robert Rabinovitch
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PRESIDENT AND CEO’S MESSAGE
The broadcasting industry thrives on creativity, renewal and risk-taking, and 2005–2006
offered plenty of each. From new programs and personalities, to new technologies and
platforms, the past year was one of tremendous change and I am very proud to say that
CBC | Radio-Canada was at the forefront of much of the most exciting broadcasting news
for Canadians.
In December we launched the satellite radio service Sirius Canada, expanding our reach to
audiences in the US and to all Canadians, no matter where they live in this country. Of the
10 Canadian channels carried by the service, six are provided by CBC | Radio-Canada;
In February, our Television services provided more than 1,300 hours of coverage of the
2006 Turin Winter Olympic Games including, for the first time in Canada, content that was
available for viewing on cell phones;
Our Radio services maintained their leadership positions in markets across Canada and, as in the case
of CBC Radio One, we enhanced our presence in a number of local markets, providing more
Canadians with the local information service they require. In May 2005, Radio de Radio-Canada’s
BBM results marked the first time that the Première Chaîne’s audience reached one million listeners;
Our French Radio service Espace musique had a remarkable first year on air with Fall BBM results
of 2.5 per cent, confirming the appetite Canadians have for the kind and range of musical diversity
that only a public broadcaster can deliver;
While CBC.ca and Radio-Canada.ca remained among the country’s top news and information
websites, they also became one of the places Canadians go to download some of their favourite
programs for listening to on their iPods or MP3 players. These devices are attracting large new
audiences to CBC | Radio-Canada. In fact, this year there were one million individual podcast
downloads of CBC Radio information and music programming, primarily from the 18-to-34-yearold group.
While these are just a few of the things we have to be proud of this year, they serve to reflect our efforts
to evolve with – if not ahead of – the changing needs and interests of our audiences. To stay relevant we
must continue to provide them not just with more of the Canadian News, information and entertainment
programming they want, but also to provide it to them when, where and how they want it.
Our ability to do that, of course, is in part linked to the resources we have. Securing stable, multi-year
funding for CBC | Radio-Canada remains one of our greatest challenges. Unfortunately, this comes at a
time when the Corporation is faced with uncertainty around a number of key revenue sources. In
2005–2006, we continued to do our part to find funding internally through operating efficiencies and
new revenues. But it is not enough.
While efficiencies and adequate funding are just two of the conditions required for our future success
we must also renew the ways in which we operate. To that end, in February 2006, CBC Television
announced a new approach to program development and commissioning with the objective of making
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PRESIDENT AND CEO’S MESSAGE
CBC Television the most important and popular video platform for Canadian News, Current Affairs,
and entertainment programming in English Canada.
In September 2005, we brought the leadership for our French services under the auspices of a single
office. Creating an integrated management structure allows us to develop an overall vision for our
French services and to optimise our production resources. This will result in a stronger, more
comprehensive and consistent public broadcaster for our audiences.
While we had much to celebrate, we were faced also with a number of challenges. Beyond inflation
we continued to be faced with rising production costs, among other financial pressures. Audience
fragmentation remains an issue not just for CBC | Radio-Canada, but for all broadcasters. I also cannot
neglect to mention the labour dispute with the Canadian Media Guild (CMG). While it was difficult,
the end result is a collective agreement that positions the Corporation for the coming years to recruit
the best and the brightest creative talent in Canada and to challenge and inspire our employees,
and hear more diverse and improved programming on our airwaves and online, as a result. We are
also pleased that we reached agreements with our two major Unions in the French file, STARF and
SCRC, as well as with the Association of Professionals and Supervisors (APS).
Looking to the future, it is clear that we have work to do across all of our services in order to succeed.
MILLION CITIZENS
SERVICES
access to the best talent and diminish our ability to innovate. As this year has shown, new technologies
will continue to emerge and audiences will be presented with even more ways of receiving, accessing
and interacting with programming content. These are reasons for, not against, a strong vibrant public
broadcaster and we will continue our efforts to reinvigorate and renew CBC | Radio-Canada so that its
future is as bright as its past.
Over the course of the next year there will be numerous opportunities for a discussion — with the
Government, the CRTC and with Canadians — on the role, place and needs of the country’s national
public broadcaster. We will participate fully and actively in any discussion that allows us to articulate
our thoughts on these important questions.
Finally, it is my pleasure to offer sincere thanks to our employees who have contributed to
CBC | Radio-Canada’s success over the past year. I also thank the Board of Directors for its ongoing
support of our strategic directions and objectives. In today’s multi-channel world, the road for a public
broadcaster is not always an easy one and the Board’s commitment, passion and creativity instills in me
a confidence that we are equipped to take on whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
32
27
1
We need to take more risks and break down the structures that slow down decision-making, limit our
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
matching their talents to the task at hand. The real beneficiaries, though, are Canadians who will see
VISION
R O B E RT R A B I N OV I T C H
PRESIDENT AND CEO
13
V I S I O N , M I S S I O N , VA L U E S
VISION CONNECTING CANADIANS
THROUGH COMPELLING CANADIAN
CONTENT. MISSION TO CREATE
AUDACIOUS, DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMMING.
PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO INFORM,
ENLIGHTEN AND ENTERTAIN.
VISION, MISSION,
VALUES
PROGRAMS THAT REFLECT CANADIANS
AND CANADA’S REGIONS. PROGRAMS
THAT HELP TIE THE COUNTRY TOGETHER
AND EXPLAIN GREAT NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS. PROGRAMMING
IN ALL GENRES WITH EMPHASIS ON
NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS, DRAMA
AND CULTURE; AND NOT FORGETTING
OUR SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO
CHILDREN.
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C O R E VA L U E S
SERVING THE CANADIAN PUBLIC
A CULTURE THAT IS DRIVEN TO ACHIEVEMENT
A CREATIVE ORGANISATION IN CONTINUOUS RENEWAL
WORKING TOGETHER
C O R P O R AT E P R I O R I T I E S
ENSURE DISTINCTIVE PROGRAMMING OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY.
RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF REGIONAL REFLECTION AND OF THE CHANGING
FACE OF CANADA.
ENSURE THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S CANADIAN SCHEDULES.
DEMONSTRATE THAT CBC | RADIO-CANADA IS A WELL-MANAGED COMPANY AND
GENERATE CASH FLOW TO RE-INVEST IN PROGRAMMING.
STRENGTHEN CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S COMMITMENT TO ALL ITS EMPLOYEES – TO
THOSE WHO CREATE AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM.
POSITION CBC | RADIO-CANADA TO ENHANCE ITS ABILITY TO FULFIL ITS MANDATE
THROUGH SELECTIVE ALLIANCES AND PARTNERSHIPS.
REINFORCE THE CAPACITY OF CBC | RADIO-CANADA TO WORK AS ONE
ENHANCE/STRENGTHEN CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS.
CORPORATE
PRIORITIES
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
INTEGRATED COMPANY.
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K E Y P E R F O R M A N C E I N D I C ATO R S
CBC | RADIO-CANADA USES PROGRAMMING PERFORMANCE INDICATORS TO ENSURE
THAT IT IS CONTINUING TO PROVIDE CANADIANS VALUE FOR THE MONEY THEY HAVE
INVESTED IN THEIR NATIONAL PUBLIC BROADCASTER.
Specifically, CBC | Radio-Canada monitors and evaluates the views and viewing, listening and surfing
habits of Canadians to ensure that it is providing them with programming to their satisfaction and that
meets their needs. On the opposite page are examples of the objectives of each of CBC | Radio-Canada’s
media lines, as well as the indicators used by the Corporation to measure its performance against those
objectives.
CORPORATE DASHBOARD
We are in the process of implementing additional performance indicators which will be linked to
our Corporate priorities, as a means of further enhancing our planning process and increasing the
effectiveness of the Corporation’s overall operations. During this fiscal year, we worked to create a
Corporate “dashboard” — a comprehensive summary of operational performance measures — that
will be used to monitor key performance indicators and provide senior managers with information
and alerts on the organisation’s performance, measured against the Corporation’s strategic objectives.
Our English- and French-language networks already use dashboards to assist in managing their business.
We are now building on their efforts in order to produce a Corporate-wide dashboard, the results of
which will be published in upcoming Annual Reports.
OVERALL MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE
PERFORMANCE MEASURE
2005–2006
2004–2005
2003–2004
2002–2003
2001–2002
89%
90%
88%
86%
87%
88%
86%
84%
87%
84%
81%
86%
86%
80%
87%
Qualitative
SATISFACTION
DISTINCTIVENESS
USAGE
(Source: QRS)
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M E A S U R E S O F P E R F O R M A N C E R E L AT E D T O M E D I A C O M P O N E N T S
SERVICE AND OBJECTIVE
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
CBC TELEVISION
PRIME TIME SHARE
Provide audiences with distinctive
Canadian English-language Television
programming of the highest quality.
(Source: Nielsen Research, September–March)
RESULTS
2005–2006
2004–2005
2003–2004
7.5%
6.9%
7.1%
82%
82%
82%
20.6%
22.5%
16.0%
84%
87%
84%
5.7%† | 8.9%
3.3%† | 3.6%
9.1%
3.0%
8.3%
3.2%
PERCENTAGE OF ANGLOPHONE VIEWERS (18+)
SATISFIED WITH CBC TELEVISION
(Source: QRS)
PRIME TIME SHARE
(Source: BBM September–March, PPM)*
Provide audiences with distinctive
Canadian French-language Television
programming of the highest quality.
PERCENTAGE OF FRANCOPHONE VIEWERS (18+)
SATISFIED WITH TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA
CBC RADIO
RADIO ONE AUDIENCE SHARE
Provide audiences with distinctive
Canadian English-language Radio
programming of the highest quality.
(Source: BBM Sweeps)
(Source: QRS)
(Source: BBM Sweeps)
(Fall)
(Spring)
(Fall)
(Fall)
86%
86%
88%
12.8%
2.5%
12.6%
3.0%
13.3%
PERCENTAGE OF ANGLOPHONE LISTENERS (18+)
SATISFIED WITH CBC RADIO
(Source: QRS)
RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA
Provide audiences with distinctive
Canadian French-language Radio
programming of the highest quality.
PREMIÈRE CHAÎNE AUDIENCE SHARE
ESPACE MUSIQUE AUDIENCE SHARE
2.3%
CHAÎNE CULTURELLE AUDIENCE SHARE
(Source: BBM Fall Sweeps)
(Last season)
90%
PERCENTAGE OF FRANCOPHONE LISTENERS (18+)
SATISFIED WITH RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA
89%
88%
(Last season)
(Source: QRS)
SERVICE AND OBJECTIVE
PERFORMANCE INDICATOR
RESULTS
2005–2006
CBC.CA
USAGE = Canadian unique
Provide users with timely, trustworthy
and comprehensive online Canadian
content in English.
visitors from home
(Source: comScore Media Metrix)
PERCENTAGE OF SITE VISITORS (18+)
SATISFIED WITH CBC.CA
CBC.ca was among the top
three news and media sites
in Canada. 2,340,000 unique
visitors from home each month.
91%
2004–2005
CBC.ca was among the top
three news and media sites
in Canada. 2,343,000 unique
visitors from home each month.
2003–2004
CBC.ca was among the top
three news and media sites
in Canada. 2,149,000 unique
visitors from home each month.
94%
93%
(Source: GIS)
RADIO-CANADA.CA
USAGE = Francophone unique
Provide users with timely, trustworthy
and comprehensive online Canadian
content in French.
visitors from home
(Source: comScore Media Metrix)
PERCENTAGE OF SITE VISITORS (18+)
SATISFIED WITH RADIO-CANADA.CA
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
RADIO TWO AUDIENCE SHARE
Radio-Canada.ca was
among the top three
Francophone news and media
sites in Canada. 1,376,000
Francophone unique visitors
from home each month.
94%
Radio-Canada.ca was
among the top three
Francophone news and media
sites in Canada. 1,352,000
Francophone unique visitors
from home each month.
Radio-Canada.ca was
among the top three
Francophone news and media
sites in Canada. 1,126,000
Francophone unique visitors
from home each month.
97%
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
TÉLÉVISION DE
RADIO-CANADA
97%
(Source: GIS)
* BBM’s PMT data was the French-language audience measurement currency up to, and including, 2003–2004. PPM data published here for that year therefore differs from data published in 2003–2004.
† The lockout of CMG employees affected six out of the eight weeks measured during the Fall of 2005.
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M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
CBC | RADIO-CANADA PROGRAMMING:
DELIVERING HIGH-QUALITY, DISTINCTIVE
CANADIAN CONTENT TO MORE
CANADIANS, IN MORE WAYS.
THE BROADCASTING LANDSCAPE
WORLDWIDE IS CHANGING FAST.
CANADIAN
STORIES
18
CANADIAN
PERSPECTIVES
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
C A N A D A’ S N AT I O N A L P U B L I C B R O A D C A S T E R
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
19
AUDACIOUS, EVOCATIVE,
ENTERTAINING.
2005-2006 CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
MORE SERVICES THIS YEAR
SIX NEW CBC | RADIO-CANADA SATELLITE RADIO CHANNELS –
HIGH-QUALITY CONTENT, WHEN, WHERE AND HOW AUDIENCES
WANT IT, AND A NORTH AMERICAN MARKET FOR CANADIAN TALENT.
PODCASTS OF CBC RADIO LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2005, AND OF RADIO DE
RADIO-CANADA IN SEPTEMBER 2005. OVER FOUR MILLION DOWNLOADS OF
ENGLISH AND FRENCH PODCASTS IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.
HDTV SERVICE LAUNCHED IN QUÉBEC CITY AND VANCOUVER, JANUARY 2006,
COMPLEMENTING TORONTO AND MONTRÉAL LAUNCHES IN MARCH 2005 –
SPECTACULAR TELEVISION FOR CANADIANS.
CBC NEWSWORLD AND RDI – PART OF A LIVE-CHANNEL SUBSCRIPTION
SERVICE STREAMED TO MOBILE PHONES VIA A PARTNERSHIP WITH MOBITV,
SINCE FALL 2005, BRINGING NEWS TO AUDIENCES WHENEVER AND
WHEREVER THEY WANT IT.
FEDERAL ELECTION 2006
OUR COVERAGE OF THE 2006 FEDERAL ELECTION WAS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF
INCREASING COOPERATION ACROSS TELEVISION, RADIO AND NEW MEDIA.
CBC TELEVISION, CBC NEWSWORLD, CBC RADIO, CBC.CA, TÉLÉVISION DE
RADIO-CANADA, RDI, RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA, AND RADIO-CANADA.CA
SHARED INFORMATION AND RESOURCES WHEREVER POSSIBLE TO PROVIDE
CANADIANS WITH AUTHORITATIVE AND BALANCED COVERAGE AND ANALYSIS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
GALAXIE
OUR 45-CHANNEL DIGITAL PAY COMMERCIAL-FREE AUDIO SERVICE —
AVAILABLE TO OVER FIVE MILLION SUBSCRIBERS VIA SATELLITE TELEVISION,
DIGITAL CABLE AND TELECOM – THIS YEAR AGAIN PROMOTED CANADIAN
ARTISTS AND PLAYED A GREATER VARIETY OF DOMESTIC ARTISTS AND TITLES
THAN ALL CANADIAN RADIO STATIONS COMBINED, HELPING TO FULFIL THE
CORPORATION’S CULTURAL MANDATE. GALAXIE ALSO INCREASED ITS
CONTRIBUTION TO CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S NET INCOME.
2005–2006 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
➜ Télévision de Radio-Canada broadcast several
films this year, including Séraphin, un homme et
son péché (watched by 1,186,000 viewers) as part
of its efforts to help develop and promote Canadian
cinema.
➜ CBC Television: The Rick Mercer Report
(average 725,000 viewers each week), and
The Red Green Show – 300th and final episode
after 15 successful years.
➜ CBC Radio One’s morning shows – among the
top three in 12 markets across Canada, including
Vancouver and Toronto.
➜ The Première Chaîne’s morning show,
C’est bien meilleur le matin – 18 per cent audience
share, Autumn 2005 (number one in the Montréal
Francophone market) and 16.3 per cent,
Spring 2006.
➜ CBC Radio’s many popular programs, such as
Go! (with a listening reach of 508,000 listeners
every week, and a nine per cent audience share
on Saturdays) and Vinyl Café (which reached its
highest point ever this year: a 16 per cent share
of listeners Sunday at noon on CBC Radio One)
returned again this year. Freestyle, which debuted
last Autumn on CBC Radio One, reaches 915,000
listeners each week and has an average four per
cent share weekly.
➜ Radio-Canada.ca and CBC.ca are leaders among
their news/media website peers.
➜ CBC Television: 48 Gemini; Télévision de
Radio-Canada: 41 Gémeaux; three Juno Awards;
CBC Radio: 100 awards, including the Prix Italia,
six Gold New York Festivals, three Third Coast
Festival, and five Gabriels; Radio de
Radio-Canada: more than 20 national and
international awards, including an Amnesty
International Prize and a Prix Judith-Jasmin;
Radio-Canada.ca; grand prizes for zone Nouvelles
and Bandeapart.fm; CBC.ca: a special South Asian
Journalists Association Award for coverage of the
2004 tsunami, beating out CNN.com and
MSNBC.com.
➜ CBC|Radio-Canada – 11th annual Honourable
Joyce Fairbairn, P.C. Literacy Public Awareness
Award for support of literacy in Canada.
➜ Maison de Radio-Canada in Montréal received
the National Earth Award for its ongoing
environmental practices and is in the running
for the International Earth Award.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
➜ Another successful year for Télévision de
Radio-Canada: Tout le monde en parle (average
of 1,481,000 viewers each week; 38.8 per cent
audience share); Le match des étoiles (average
of 1,066,000 viewers each week; 32.3 per cent
audience share) – regular season; and the series
Casino (average of 1,009,000 viewers; 33 per cent
audience share) – out of a potential audience of
only seven million Francophones in Canada.
NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
ANNIVERSARIES
➜ CBC Radio: Ideas – 40 years; Quirks & Quarks –
35 years; and CBC Radio in Iqaluit – 45 years.
➜ Radio-Canada.ca and CBC.ca: 10 years.
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
➜ Radio-Canada.ca and CBC.ca – both continue to
be leaders in New Media development for children
and youth. Radio-Canada.ca launched its Guide
des ressources pour les profs de Radio-Canada.ca.
CBC.ca provided high-quality online games, and
a look at consumer trends, youth empowerment
and pop culture, attracting an average of nearly
four million visits per month.
➜ Radio de Radio-Canada again presented
275-allô/ados-radio, inviting young people to
discuss timely topics on-air.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
GREAT AUDIENCES
21
2005–2006 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS
➜ Télévision de Radio-Canada brought in younger
viewers on Saturdays and Sundays, where a
comedian welcomed children into a wonderful
world in La Petite minute, while La Grosse minute
relied on the participation of youths and
correspondents with a wide variety of interests.
RDI continued its production of RDI Junior, a
program aimed at putting the main News issues
of the day into context for younger viewers.
➜ CBC Television launched an exciting new look for
Kids’ CBC in December 2005. Favourite programs
and characters returned this year, including
Gemini award-winning Poko, Nanalan, Zoboomafoo,
Dragon Tales, and The Doodlebops. There were also
new shows: Pinky Dinky Doo, Lunar Jim, Yamroll,
Morgan Waters Show, and Mr. Meaty.
SPORTS
➜ CBC Television built on its high-performance
sports strategy again this year with an emphasis
on amateur sports, and refined its weekend
afternoon sports programming block. Télévision
de Radio-Canada broadcast a new sports talk
show, Au-dessus de la mêlée, which covered all
dimensions of amateur and professional sports.
Both networks coordinated coverage across
Television, Radio and New Media.
➜ Radio-Canada was the host broadcaster for the
World Aquatics Championships in Montréal. Its
Television, Radio and Web services, along with
RDI, worked collaboratively and synergistically,
providing excellent, seamless coverage at reduced
cost. CBC Television also provided 13 hours’
coverage in prime time and 10 hours in off-prime
time.
➜ CBC Television covered the 2005 Canada Summer
Games, with CBC.ca providing results continuously.
➜ CBC Television was the exclusive Canadian
broadcaster of the World Track and Field
Championships in Helsinki, while Télévision de
Radio-Canada and Radio-Canada.ca’s zone Sports
covered the Grand Prix du Canada de Formule 1.
➜ Hockey Night in Canada returned to loyal fans, and
loyal fans returned to it, after the National Hockey
League’s labour dispute last year. Most long-term
sponsors and advertisers were back, providing
22
significant revenue used by the Corporation for
other CBC | Radio-Canada programming.
➜ CBC’s Hockey Day in Canada, our annual thirteenand-a-half hour, cross-country program, raised
funds and gathered equipment for Newfoundland
and Labrador players who could not afford to play
hockey. The host location was Stephenville,
Newfoundland, hard hit by job losses and last
year’s flooding.
➜ CBC Television broadcast the 93rd Grey Cup
Championship, a great tradition in Canada and
on our network.
➜ CBC Country Canada partnered with CBC Sports
to increase our live curling coverage.
OLYMPICS
➜ The Torino Winter Olympics marked
CBC | Radio-Canada’s 50th year of Olympic
broadcasting – over 1,300 hours of coverage,
more than any other North American network,
record audiences for live events and strong praise
for the quality and depth of our coverage.
➜ CBC | Radio-Canada Olympics coverage was
available whenever and wherever audiences
wanted it, via High Definition Television, for the
first time in Canada; Internet; Video-on-Demand
(selected programming for Rogers customers
in Toronto); RSS, SMS, and e-mail, offering
unprecedented coverage; and cell phone:
CBC Television produced an exclusive
Olympic video highlight package for delivery by
Bell Mobility to its cell phone subscribers — an
exciting broadcasting platform milestone and a
first in Canada.
➜ CBC Television – 16 hours daily. Average
audiences – 973,000 mornings; 1,408,000
afternoons (a 14 per cent increase over 2002);
and 1,220,000 in prime time.
➜ Télévision de Radio-Canada – 404,000 viewers
for the live opening ceremony and 678,000 for
the repeat; and 925,000 for the closing ceremony
(audience share peaked at 51 per cent).
➜ CBC.ca – 19 million visits and 117 million page
views (double the Athens Games’ traffic) – first
11 days of the Games.
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES, DIFFERENT
COMMUNICATION APPROACHES, AND
INTENSE COMPETITION FOR AUDIENCES,
BROADCASTERS HAVE SPECIALISED THEIR
OFFERINGS TO FIND NICHE MARKETS.
This is the fundamental challenge for a creative
organisation: evolve to stay current with the times;
retain the values that have hallmarked our
programming, while exploring new subjects and fresh
George Stroumboulopoulos,
CBC News: The Hour, CBC Newsworld
Our goal is to connect Canadians through compelling
Canadian content that our audiences want to see and
hear. We are content providers, looking for the best
ways to remain essential to our audiences and adapting
to new technologies to serve Canadians across our 27
media services.
We’ve worked hard again this year to meet this
challenge, especially in the context of significant
financial pressures and an unstable annual budget.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
ways of communicating; and anticipate the changing
needs and expectations of a diverse Canada.
THE YEAR IN REVIEW –
ENGLISH SERVICES
CBC TELEVISION
CBC Television encompasses 16 conventional,
over-the-air, television stations across the country, and
our wholly owned specialty services CBC Newsworld
and CBC Country Canada.
In 2005–2006, CBC Television continued its goal of
becoming a more clearly defined public broadcaster
Ian Tracey, Intelligence, CBC Television
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
CBC | Radio-Canada’s mandate is to
serve all Canadians with highquality, distinctive programming
that informs, enlightens and
entertains. It’s what we have been
doing for 70 years. We’ve trained
generations of journalists and
brought the country reliable
coverage of national and
international News stories. We’ve
mentored domestic talent and
Peter Mansbridge, Keith Boag and panelists
prepare for CBC News’ 2006 Federal Election
strengthened the national cultural
Night broadcast
scene by providing a platform for
Canadian artists across the country. Through our
programming and personnel, we’ve responded to the
country’s changing demographics to provide
programming for all of its citizens. And we’ve embraced
new technologies to reach more Canadians and to bring
them great programming – when, where and how they
want it.
Meredith Henderson, Shania: A Life in Eight
Albums, CBC Television
23
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
within a very competitive English-language television
market. In the recent past, CBC Television increased
Canadian programming in its schedule, established that
the primary programming criterion must be value to the
public, and improved quality through measures such as
the CBC News Integration Project, which is fostering
sharing of information, ideas and resources across
CBC Television, CBC Radio, and CBC.ca.
2005–2006 OBJECTIVES: BRINGING MORE
CANADIAN STORIES AND PERSPECTIVES
TO CANADIAN TELEVISION
1. STRENGTHEN DISTINCTIVENESS AND QUALITY
THROUGH:
• A new Entertainment strategy – Begin to
address the crisis in Canadian television
drama by introducing a new weekly drama
series and a daytime drama, several comedy
series, and weekly high-impact drama and
variety specials;
• Strengthened News services – Regain the
audience and increase the impact of
CBC News: The National, local News, and
CBC Newsworld;
• A stronger regional connection – Present
afternoon pilots in Halifax and Vancouver and
test one-hour local supper hour shows in
Edmonton, Montréal and St. John’s;
2. FREE UP RESOURCES THROUGH BETTER,
INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT TO INVEST
IN PROGRAMMING;
3. MEASURE PROGRESS IN BUILDING AUDIENCES
BY SETTING TARGETS FOR ALL PROGRAMMING.
2005–2006 RESULTS
A NEW ENTERTAINMENT STRATEGY:
MORE CANADIAN DRAMA
CBC Television began addressing the drama crisis in
Canada’s English television by introducing new
leadership and creative approaches to developing
excellent Canadian programming that audiences find
relevant and challenging, and that they want to watch –
programs produced in Canada, made for Canadians,
and reflecting a uniquely Canadian sensibility.
24
These new approaches include commissioning and
producing content that can be shared and re-purposed for
Television, Radio and CBC | Radio-Canada websites;
streamlining and speeding up decision-making to remove
bureaucracy that inhibits creativity and competitiveness,
and being open to the broader creative community
of Canada.
Another major achievement was securing from The
Canadian Television Fund funding specifically for
CBC | Radio-Canada-sponsored projects. This dedicated
funding will make it easier for CBC Television to finance
high-quality, distinctive Canadian programming, especially
Canadian drama, and it will give independent Canadian
television producers greater funding certainty.
For audiences, all these changes resulted in new, highproduction value series, miniseries and CBC Big Ticket
films, and in more signature Canadian comedy. There
were programs about iconical Canadians — for example,
Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story (watched
by 768,000 viewers), and Shania: A Life in Eight Albums
(watched by nearly 1.2 million viewers). There were also
intriguing, edgy dramas — such as Intelligence and
Ken Finkleman’s At The Hotel — that demonstrated
CBC Television’s willingness to take the risks required
to develop programs that Canadians simply won’t find
anywhere else.
STRENGTHENED NEWS SERVICES:
BROADER, DEEPER COVERAGE
In January 2006, CBC News continued to revitalise its
News services to better serve audiences and to reinforce
its leadership in Canada. The strategy is delivering more
hard-hitting journalism, greater international and regional
context, and increased exposure to divergent views and
perspectives, not only on CBC Television, but also on
CBC Newsworld, CBC Radio, CBC News Express, and
CBC.ca.
A key component of this strategy was a major re-launch of
News on CBC Television, including a revamping of
CBC News: The National and a change in some regions in
the format of the supper hour programs, with local and
82%
A N G LO P H O N E V I E W E R S S AT I S F I E D
WITH CBC TELEVISION
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
regional News now coming first, on CBC News at Six,
followed by national and international News on
CBC News: Canada No w.
NEXT STEPS
CBC TELEVISION’S THREE-YEAR VISION IS TO
A STRONGER REGIONAL CONNECTION:
TARGETING DISTINCT REGIONAL NEEDS
CBC Television launched a comprehensive approach
to regional program development. Pilots for revamped
supper hour News programs targeted regional needs
and preferences. A new hour-long supper hour
show, CBC News: Here and No w, launched in
November in St. John’s. Development work continues
on a market-by-market basis according to the needs,
circumstances and competition in each location.
FREE UP RESOURCES TO INVEST IN PROGRAMMING
CBC Television was able to free up $22 million for
programming in 2005–2006. This was achieved by
reallocating program funds, finding new ways to conduct
business, increasing efficiency, and developing new
sources for revenue.
PLATFORM FOR CANADIAN NEWS, CURRENT
AFFAIRS AND ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMS.
TO DELIVER A SERVICE DIFFERENTIATED
FROM ANY OTHER IN ENGLISH CANADA,
CBC TELEVISION WILL:
Increase the amount of Canadian drama
entertainment from 150 hours in 2005–2006 to
175 hours in 2006–2007, rising to 250 hours in
2008–2009;
Continue to offer a balance of News and
information, sports, arts, and children’s
programming;
Renew our commitment to broadcasting in the
regions by presenting authentic regional voices
on social, political and cultural matters and
expanding our presence to all areas of the
country;
Rigorously monitor progress in meeting targets
and indicators that measure public value,
audience share, revenue, and cost for every
program.
AS WELL AS BRINGING MORE CANADIAN DRAMA
TO CANADIAN AUDIENCES, CBC TELEVISION
WILL ALSO ENHANCE ITS LEADERSHIP IN NEWS,
CURRENT AFFAIRS AND DOCUMENTARIES,
AND SPORTS.
MEASURE PROGRESS IN BUILDING AUDIENCES
In 2005-2006 performance metrics and targets were set for all
CBC Television programming. These targets and performance
indicators were regularly reviewed by CBC Television’s Senior
Management team throughout the year.
Canada Russia ’72, CBC Television
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
This year, CBC Newsworld — Canada’s number one
news network — relaunched CBC News: Morning,
strengthened its national and international weather
reporting, and began broadcasting Canadian and
international documentaries every night of the week.
CBC Newsworld reaches 10.2 million subscriber
homes — more than any other specialty network in Canada.
BECOME THE MOST IMPORTANT AND POPULAR
Jann Arden, Rick Mercer, J.P. Veitch,
The Rick Mercer Report, CBC Television
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
CBC News opened a bureau in Shanghai – its fourth new
international bureau in 18 months – to cover the News
from an increasingly important part of the world that is
of strong interest to Canada and Canadians.
CBC Television also continued to renew its Current
Affairs programs, creating specials built on the success of
the fifth estate and CBC News: Marketplace.
Valerie Pringle, Canadian Antiques Roadshow,
CBC Television and CBC Newsworld
25
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
NEWS
•
Relaunch several News programs based on
CBC Radio 3’s vision is to be a driving force in
contemporary music, identifying and promoting
leading-edge Canadian talent.
findings from the CBC News Study;
•
Continue to implement the CBC News
Integration project;
•
Further renew CBC News: The National to
increase audience share.
2005–2006 OBJECTIVES: BECOMING MORE
VALUED AND MORE USED BY MORE CANADIANS
1. AUDIENCE GROWTH: ATTRACT NEW
AUDIENCES THROUGH EXTENDED LOCAL
SERVICE, MORE REGIONAL PROGRAMMING
CURRENT AFFAIRS AND DOCUMENTARIES
•
Expand the fifth estate to include specials;
•
Strengthen CBC Television’s position as Canada’s
documentary leader and increase audiences for
documentaries.
SPORTS
•
Focus on acquiring professional sports, including
Hockey Night in Canada;
AND INCREASED RELEVANCE TO CANADIAN
NEEDS AND DESIRES;
2. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
• Ongoing development of existing programs
that respond to changing listener needs and
demographics;
• Focus on Radio research and development to
pilot new shows and migrate successful pilots
to the schedule;
•
Retain amateur sports coverage.
3. NEW PLATFORMS: EXTEND PROGRAMMING
TO NEW LISTENERS ON NEW PLATFORMS AT
CBC RADIO
CBC Radio includes three networks — CBC Radio One,
CBC Radio Two and CBC Radio 3. CBC Radio One and
CBC Radio Two are terrestrial, over-the-air services that
reach more than 97 per cent of Canadian homes on
AM or FM. CBC Radio 3 is a new music channel
delivered by Sirius Satellite Radio.
CBC Radio One’s vision is to be recognised and valued
as the definitive source for Canadian News, information
and entertainment, connecting Canadians to their
regions and the country as a whole.
CBC Radio Two’s vision is to be Canada’s leading
cultural platform in all genres, the place where creativity
finds a home.
HOME AND ABROAD.
2005–2006 RESULTS
AUDIENCE GROWTH: REACHING OUT TO
MORE CANADIANS
In December 2005, CBC | Radio-Canada launched
six new channels, including CBC Radio One and
CBC Radio 3, on Sirius Canada, a partnership of
Sirius Satellite Radio, CBC | Radio-Canada and Standard
Radio. By offering compelling content and high-quality
audio when, where and how audiences want it, these
channels extend CBC Radio services to much larger
audiences, create an international stage for Canadian
talent and perspectives, and generate additional cash
flow for our programming budgets.
86%
A N G LO P H O N E L I S T E N E R S S AT I S F I E D
WITH CBC RADIO
Rick MacInnes-Rae, Dispatches, CBC Radio One
and podcast
26
Andrew Craig, In Performance, CBC Radio Two
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
Shelagh Rogers, Sounds Like Canada; and
Night Time Review, CBC Radio One and podcast
CBC Radio’s first 2006 BBM survey
results demonstrate the success of
the network in reaching audiences: between January and
March 2006, CBC Radio reached over 3.8 million
Canadians. In 12 of the 17 markets surveyed, the
network’s morning shows were among the top three in
their markets. CBC Radio was particularly strong in
Alberta; the Calgary morning show moved from fourth
to second place, and Edmonton moved from seventh to
third. CBC Toronto is number one in the important
6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. period.
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: A RICHER,
DEEPER LISTENING EXPERIENCE
Innovative program development led to increased
audience shares for CBC Radio morning shows across
the country. And 20 new Summer shows enriched our
programming by introducing a wide range of new
voices and perspectives; some of these shows have won
major awards.
NEW PLATFORMS: IT’S ABOUT CHOICE
CBC | Radio-Canada is an acknowledged leader in using
emerging technologies to reach listeners when, where
and how they want to be reached. This year CBC Radio
made its programming more widely available on satellite
through Sirius Canada, on FM in key markets in
Western Canada, on the Internet, and through
international program exchanges.
In March 2006, CBC | Radio-Canada was awarded six
new FM frequencies in four major markets in the
West — Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Winnipeg.
The new frequencies are for FM transmitters nested
within the coverage areas of existing AM services for
CBC Radio One in all of those markets and for the
Première Chaîne in Winnipeg and Edmonton. These new
transmitters will dramatically improve reception for our
listeners in these cities.
After piloting programs in Spring 2005, podcasts of
CBC Radio were launched in June 2005, and of Radio
de Radio-Canada in September 2005. In the last six
months of the fiscal year, CBC Radio and Radio de
Radio-Canada had more than four million downloads
of music, information, science, and entertainment
programs, primarily by listeners in the 18-to-34-yearold group. For most of the year, CBC Radio 3 had
Canada’s number one podcast on iTunes, with one
million downloads in nine months.
CBC Radio 3’s website was visited 11.9 million times, up
118 per cent over 2004–2005. CBC.ca makes it easy for
audiences to subscribe to podcast programs for free, and
next year it will help CBC Radio launch a major
expansion of podcasting.
CBC Radio produced several award-winning
investigative News series this year, covering timely,
Tom Allen, Music and Company, CBC Radio Two
Priya Ramu, On The Coast, CBC Radio One
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
To accommodate different circumstances in different
cities, CBC Radio One this year introduced variable
schedules for the drive-home shows
in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg,
Calgary, Edmonton, and St. John’s.
Now some drive-home shows start
earlier or run longer than others,
depending on the needs of local
listeners. The new schedules are
resonating with audiences; the
programs are maintaining or
increasing audience share.
important topics such as piracy of brand names, water
quality in Aboriginal communities, hospital infections,
and adverse drug reactions in seniors.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
As well as generating content for Sirius Canada,
CBC Radio 3 attracted new audiences by sharing
programs with college stations and by supplying content
to CBC Radio One and CBC Radio Two.
Brent Bambury, Go!, CBC Radio One
27
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
NEXT STEPS
2005–2006 OBJECTIVES: BUILDING ON
EXCEPTIONAL SUCCESS
FOR 2006–2007 AND THE YEARS TO
COME, CBC RADIO’S FOUR KEY STRATEGIC
TO ACHIEVE THIS, CBC.CA SET OUT TO:
OBJECTIVES ARE:
1. MAINTAIN OR INCREASE CBC.CA USAGE;
2. MAINTAIN OR IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF
Expanded regional programming: Delivering
the authentic social, political and cultural voice
of each region, and delivering service to places
currently unserved;
CONTENT;
3. IMPROVE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE;
4. GENERATE MORE ADVERTISING REVENUES.
Ensuring programming relevance:
A commitment to airing inspiring, innovative
and excellent programming; to growing
2005–2006 RESULTS
audiences; and to reflecting the diversity of
contemporary Canadian society;
Renewal and re-invention: Producing cultural
content reflecting the needs of the Canadian
public, based on results of the Corporation’s
Arts and Culture Study; launching a new strategy
for Arts and Entertainment programming for
CBC Radio One, CBC Radio Two and CBC Radio 3;
redeveloping CBC Radio Two to preserve its
valued past while expanding the breadth of
emerging talent on its airwaves; delivering
CBC Radio on satellite radio and through
podcasting and downloading;
MAINTAIN OR INCREASE CBC.CA USAGE:
EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS THIS YEAR
Financial sustainability: Efficiencies and other
initiatives have redirected one million dollars
each year into programming, but inflation is
eroding programming budgets and without
additional funding current levels of service
are at risk.
CBC.CA
CBC.ca’s goal is to be Canada’s most popular news and
media website. In 2005–2006, CBC.ca focused on
establishing CBC.ca as a platform with its own
characteristics and audience, like CBC Television and
CBC Radio.
CBC.ca had an exceptional increase in audience early in
2006, and remains a leader among Canada’s news and
media websites, ahead of online competitors including
CNN, CTV, The Globe and Mail, CanWest Global, and
The New York Times. From December 2005 to February
2006, the site’s audience increased 74 per cent. We
attribute this to a high level of interest in the January
federal election and in the 2006 Torino Winter
Olympics, and to the quality of our online coverage of
both events. CBC.ca was in the top three of Canada’s
news and media websites nine months out of 12 in
2005–2006, with a monthly average of 2,340,000
unique visitors from home.
CBC.ca broke multiple audience records over the course
of the year, achieving its highest single-day audience to
date on the day of the federal election, January 23, and
then breaking that record on January 24. That record
was itself surpassed on February 22, during the Torino
Winter Olympics.
A major redevelopment of CBC.ca’s 13 major regional
Web sections attracted more visitors. Regional websites
offer regional News and weather, information about
91%
S I T E V I S I TO R S S AT I S F I E D W I T H C B C . C A
28
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
Throughout the 2006 federal
election campaign, CBC.ca offered
News, analysis and background,
including riding and candidate
profiles. On CBC.ca’s discussion boards, Canadians
wrote more than 10,000 comments, some of which
engendered stories on-air. After the polls closed on
election night, CBC.ca simulcast the CBC Radio and
CBC Television special election coverage, and allowed
Canadians to look up results for individual ridings, in
real time as the results came in.
Bob McDonald, Quirks & Quarks, CBC Radio One,
RCI, podcast and Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 137;
Retro Reels: Fragile Planet, CBC Newsworld
CBC.ca’s Torino section offered a wealth of information
including breaking Olympic news, biographies and
background information, as well as live scores, stats
and standings.
CBC.ca continued to enrich and fine-tune its Arts and
Entertainment journalism section, which launched in
January 2005. The audience for the section is growing
steadily, and staff from the section helped their
CBC Radio colleagues develop a new strategy for
CBC Radio’s Arts and Entertainment coverage.
CBC.ca continued to be a leader in New Media
development for children and youth. Highlights in
Mark Lee, Chris Walby, Greg Frers,
Elliotte Friedman, Sean Millington,
Eric Tillman, CFL on CBC, CBC Television,
with full coverage on CBC.ca
CBC.ca visitors clearly value CBC.ca’s depth and quality
of coverage: in the Report Card and QRS Winter 2006
survey, over 90 per cent said that CBC.ca is satisfying,
essential, trusted, complete, and offers up-to-date
coverage.
IMPROVE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE:
EASIER ACCESS TO MORE CONTENT
Throughout 2005–2006, CBC.ca continued implementing
its new content management system, which will be fully
in place for all journalistic publishing in June 2006.
Throughout 2005–2006, CBC.ca worked on a major
redesign of the website for launching in June 2006.
GENERATE MORE ADVERTISING REVENUES
FOR RE-INVESTMENT IN PROGRAMMING
This year CBC.ca offered increased opportunities for
advertisers in ways that did not interfere with visitors’
enjoyment of the site. The approach was successful;
revenue targets were exceeded, and there were very few
audience complaints.
NEXT STEPS
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
MAINTAIN OR IMPROVE THE
QUALITY OF CONTENT: IN-DEPTH
COVERAGE OF KEY EVENTS
2005-2006 included high-quality online games, and
features on consumer trends, youth empowerment
and pop culture.
FOR 2006–2007, CBC.CA’S FIVE KEY STRATEGIC
OBJECTIVES ARE:
Continue growing CBC.ca’s audience;
Focus on core strengths: relevant and popular
content;
Continue improving the user experience;
Increase revenues;
Promote CBC Television and
CBC Radio programs.
Matt Galloway, Here and Now, CBC Radio One;
The World In Performance, CBC Radio Two
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
community events, and programming information and
schedules, as well as links to our national websites.
This year, there were special features celebrating the
provincial centennials for Saskatchewan and Alberta;
a new website, in conjunction with Parks Canada,
for Newfoundland’s Gros Morne
National Park; and interactive
content supporting CBC Montréal’s
Weight of the World project, which
challenged students to learn about
the causes and cures of child obesity.
Grant Lawrence, CBC Radio 3, CBC Radio Two and
Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 94
29
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
THE YEAR IN REVIEW –
FRENCH SERVICES
CBC | Radio-Canada’s French-language programming is
as distinctive as it is relevant, and in 2005–2006 it
continued to be highly popular with the Canadian
public. A major
factor in this
year’s successes
was the decision
to combine all
of our French
networks under
one VicePresident so
that our French
Services can
Guillaume Lemay-Thivierge, Casino,
evolve with even
Télévision de Radio-Canada
greater cohesion
and provide Francophones with an even more
comprehensive and effective public service.
Integration of all French services — including
Télévision de Radio-Canada, RDI, Radio de
Radio-Canada, and Radio-Canada.ca — began in
2005–2006 and will continue in 2006–2007. It builds
on the highly successful repositioning of Télévision de
Radio-Canada that began three years ago, and it will
enable our French Services to continue to fulfill and
strengthen their public service role while addressing the
challenges of a multi-platform future. New strategic
priorities will lead to a global vision of French Services
that recognises the individual strengths and distinctive
character of each media line while aiming at a common
goal: to give Canadians unmatched coverage and
analysis of key issues and to enrich their cultural life
through diverse, compelling Canadian programming.
2005–2006 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS: A MORE
FOCUSED AND EFFECTIVE PUBLIC
BROADCASTER
•
Attain optimal audience levels for all networks;
•
Make more room for culture on all platforms;
•
Offer and support a larger amount and wider
range of music;
•
Create a work environment that stimulates
creativity.
2005–2006 RESULTS
The merged organisation has been achieved
harmoniously and without disruption and dislocation
within the operations. The Communication and
Planning functions were immediately merged when the
transition took place in November 2005. Management
teams were subsequently integrated and inter-unit
collaboration is increasing at an accelerated pace.
Primary awareness of these changes would flow from
the integrated approach adopted in promoting the
different networks’ schedules over the Winter.
NEXT STEPS
Foster optimal integration of services and
activities where it makes sense and is natural;
Rely more on the involvement, abundant
creativity and diversity of staff;
Strengthen alliances and partnerships;
Develop new sources of revenue;
Expand the reach of Radio and Television
through the Internet and new platforms.
84%
F R A N C O P H O N E V I E W E R S S AT I S F I E D W I T H
T É L É V I S I O N D E R A D I O - CA N A DA
Michel Louvain, Sheila Copps, Normand Brathwaite, Jacynthe René,
Alain Dumas, Le match des étoiles, Télévision de Radio-Canada
30
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
2005–2006 OBJECTIVES: SUSTAINING THE
MOMENTUM
1. BUILD THE AUDIENCE;
2. STRENGTHEN NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS;
3. INCREASE OUR CULTURAL DIVERSITY;
4. ENSURE OPEN MANAGEMENT.
2005–2006 RESULTS
BUILD THE AUDIENCE
Télévision de Radio-Canada sustained exceptional
ratings. For example, Les Bougon – c’est aussi ça la vie!
was the top-rated show for five consecutive weeks
(average audience ranging between 1.65 and 1.89
million viewers). Many other programs also regularly
drew over a million viewers, including Tout le monde
en parle, Le match des étoiles, L’auberge du chien noir,
Minuit le soir, Casino, and Rumeurs. The success of
these programs proves that Canadians will choose
excellent, appealing domestic productions when they
are available.
In the Summer of 2005, Télévision de Radio-Canada
premiered a number of new shows that helped boost
ratings in the evenings. This solid performance is
reflected in the audience share for Le téléjournal/
Le point, which grew by five percentage points at
Rémy Girard, Louison Danis, Hélène Bourgeois
Leclerc, Vincent Bilodeau, Rosalee Jacques,
Claude Laroche, Antoine Bertrand, Les Bougon —
c’est aussi ça la vie!, Télévision de Radio-Canada
In the 2005–2006 Fall-Winter season, the network
maintained an all-day 15.6 per cent share (up from
15.4 per cent in 2004–2005). Its share of the 6:00 a.m.
to 7:00 p.m. period was 2.2 percentage points higher
than the season before, a rise due to programs aired
between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., including the new
sociocultural magazine show La fosse aux lionnes.
STRENGTHEN NEWS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS
Télévision de Radio-Canada created a new editorial
structure for planning and resource allocation in News
and Current Affairs to allow for more extensive
programming on topical subjects, such as: Point de
rupture/Breaking Point, a special transcultural project
about the 1995 Referendum in Québec co-produced by
our English and French services; and L’argent des Hells
and La grippe aviaire.
Télévision de Radio-Canada, which provides News and
information programming from five national and 29
regional bureaux, augmented its international News
capability, adding resources for coverage in Paris,
Washington and Latin America.
The network also launched Les coulisses du pouvoir,
providing more coverage and analysis of political events
and figures, and three new daily Current Affairs
programs. Returning programs included the innovative
5 sur 5 — a public platform on Télévision de
Radio-Canada, RDI and TV5 — and Enjeux and
Zone libre.
INCREASE OUR CULTURAL DIVERSITY
Télévision de Radio-Canada acted on its commitment to
reflect the country’s cultural diversity by organising a
summit on the issue in October 2005 at its Montréal
offices. The summit, which was attended by cultural
Dany Turcotte, Guy A. Lepage,
Tout le monde en parle,
Télévision de Radio-Canada
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Télévision de Radio-Canada continued its repositioning,
begun three years ago, in the competitive Frenchlanguage television market. It refined its mission to
focus on public service programming that is credible,
bold and audacious, open to the world and to different
perspectives.
10:00 p.m. and by four percentage points at 10:30 p.m.,
compared to Summer 2004.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA
Marc Labrèche, Fric Show,
Télévision de Radio-Canada
31
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
Catherine Lafrance, Marie-José Turcotte, Michel Viens, Pascal Yiacouvakis, Tanya Lapointe,
Matin express, Télévision de Radio-Canada
community and educational institution representatives,
made it possible to lay the groundwork for an action
plan aimed at ensuring better representation of cultural
communities on the Télévision de Radio-Canada
workforce.
ENSURE OPEN, RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT
The success of Télévision de Radio-Canada’s repositioning
has largely been due to the commitment of its staff to
meeting the objectives and expressing the values of a
successful public broadcaster. To honour that
IN THE 2005–2006
FALL-WINTER SEASON,
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIOCANADA MAINTAINED AN
ALL-DAY 15.6 PER CENT
SHARE (UP FROM 15.4
PER CENT IN 2004–2005).
90%
FRANCOPHONE LISTENERS (18+)
S AT I S F I E D W I T H R A D I O D E R A D I O - CA N A DA
32
Pascale Nadeau, Le téléjournal/Montréal,
Télévision de Radio-Canada
commitment, Télévision de Radio-Canada continued in
2005–2006 to introduce open management practices
based on cooperation and teamwork.
A range of responsible management practices has been
introduced in recent years to ensure the continuous reinvestment of savings and revenue into programming.
These practices are reviewed regularly. In 2005–2006,
they helped Télévision de Radio-Canada attain its revenue
targets and maintain a high rate of re-investment in
programming.
NEXT STEPS
Strengthen our cultural mission by further
raising the quality of drama and variety
programs, developing more High Definition
Television (HDTV) programming, and expanding
our reach on all platforms;
Unreservedly assert the main network’s
unique, general-interest character;
Accentuate the distinctiveness of information
programming.
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
Radio de Radio-Canada includes the Première Chaîne,
Espace musique and bandeapart.fm. Radio de
Radio-Canada also operates Radio Canada International
(RCI), CBC | Radio-Canada’s international service,
and cooperates with CBC Radio to produce
CBC North/Radio-Canada Nord, which broadcasts
to Northern Canada in French, English and eight
Aboriginal languages.
2005–2006 OBJECTIVES: CREATING A
STRONGER, MORE DISTINCTIVE RADIO
PRESENCE
1. BUILD EXISTING AUDIENCES;
2. STRENGTHEN THE PREMIÈRE CHAÎNE’S
POSITION IN INFORMATION AND CULTURE;
3. MAINTAIN ESPACE MUSIQUE’S ROLE IN
ENCOURAGING CANADA’S MUSICAL DIVERSITY;
4. USE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO REACH
NEW AUDIENCES.
2005–2006 RESULTS
BUILD EXISTING AUDIENCES
Like Télévision de Radio-Canada, Radio de Radio-Canada
has had considerable success with audiences in recent
years. The BBM ratings for this year indicate a steady
rise. For the first survey of 2006, Radio de RadioCanada obtained a combined audience share for the
Première Chaîne and Espace musique of 16.3 per cent
Monique Giroux, Fréquence libre,
Première Chaîne, Radio de Radio-Canada
The Première Chaîne audience share for 2005–2006
was 12.8 per cent (BBM Fall Sweeps), up from 12.6 per
cent last year. The Première Chaîne’s morning show was
number one in the Montréal Francophone market.
STRENGTHEN THE PREMIÈRE CHAÎNE’S
POSITION IN INFORMATION AND CULTURE
The Première Chaîne is available to 98 per cent of
Canada’s Francophone population.
To strengthen the Première Chaîne’s regional dimension,
the mandates of several network programs were revised
to make more room for regional content. Many network
shows are taped in the regions, such as the literary
magazine Vous m’en lirez tant, broadcast from the
Festival de poésie de Trois-Rivières and the Salon du
livre de Rimouski. The Première Chaîne’s expanded
cultural programming included series about authors
such as Dany Laferrière, Robert Lepage and
Leonard Cohen.
MAINTAIN ESPACE MUSIQUE’S ROLE IN
ENCOURAGING CANADA’S MUSICAL DIVERSITY
Espace musique, very successfully launched in September
2004, continued to provide a distinctive service that
reflects Canada’s diverse musical genres and emerging
talent to Francophones across the country, with stations
in each provincial capital. Its mandate is to develop and
promote French-language Canadian music of all genres
(classical, jazz, world music, and emerging music).
Espace musique attracts a multilingual audience —
in fact, 25 per cent of listeners are Anglophone.
The network’s innovative website on Radio-Canada.ca
supports Canadian artists by featuring their music
and profiles.
Joël Le Bigot, Samedi et rien d’autre; and
Pourquoi pas dimanche?, Première Chaîne,
Radio de Radio-Canada
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Radio de Radio-Canada is rooted in Canada’s regions
and communities, with 14 regional News bureaux
and 20 production centres across the country.
Radio de Radio-Canada is the most comprehensive
French-language radio network in Canada.
and a reach of close to 1.3 million listeners — an
all-time record. The percentage of Francophone
listeners (18+) satisfied with Radio de Radio-Canada
remained high at 90 per cent.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA
Jacques Languirand, Par 4 chemins,
Première Chaîne, Radio de Radio-Canada
33
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
NEXT STEPS
Make the Première Chaîne a genuine forum for
great ideas and critical issues;
Define Espace musique’s position and role in
developing Canadian music;
Increasingly become a regional News standard;
Maintain high ratings.
Alexandre Courteau, Bandeapart.fm, Espace musique,
Radio de Radio-Canada; and Bande à part, Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 93
USE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES TO REACH
NEW AUDIENCES
Radio de Radio-Canada reached new audiences by
launching, in association with Sirius Canada, four
satellite networks: Bande à part, Première plus,
Info plus, and RCI plus. The latter’s schedule consists
of original RCI productions in French, English,
Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian,
and Mandarin, and reflects the multicultural nature of
Canada’s population. The Sirius Bande à part station
complements bandeapart.fm on Espace musique and
the Internet.
Bandeapart.fm offers invaluable exposure for emerging
Canadian music through French-language Internet
content for young people. Among bandeapart.fm’s
offerings are eight Web Radio stations, online concerts,
videos, and extremely popular podcasting — there were
over 35,000 bandeapart.fm podcast downloads in just
one week in late Winter 2006, for example. Since its
Web launch in January 2001, bandeapart.fm has
broadcast over 350 concerts, more than 40 Television
shows, 2,000 hours of Radio programming, and
attracted millions of users.
RADIO-CANADA.CA
In 2005–2006, Radio-Canada.ca remained a leader
among Canada’s French-language news and media
websites, attracting an average of 1.4 million
Francophone visitors per month at home.
2005–2006 OBJECTIVES: REINFORCING THE
VALUES AND PRIORITIES OF A PUBLIC
BROADCASTER
1. DELIVERING QUALITY CONTENT;
2. SHARING CONTENT AND RESOURCES
WITH RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA AND
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA;
3. OFFERING INNOVATIVE AND COMPELLING
YOUTH CONTENT.
2005–2006 RESULTS
DELIVERING QUALITY CONTENT
In November 2005, Radio-Canada.ca marked its 10th
anniversary by revamping its home page to offer visitors
easier access to current content, and expanded and
refined the News, sports, and Arts and Entertainment
sections.
94%
S I T E V I S I TO R S S AT I S F I E D W I T H
R A D I O - C A N A DA . C A
Anddy Zhao, RCI plus,
Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 188
34
M E D I A L I N E S ’ O B J E C T I V E S A N D R E S U LT S
SHARING CONTENT AND RESOURCES
WITH RADIO AND TELEVISION
OFFERING INNOVATIVE AND
COMPELLING YOUTH CONTENT
Radio-Canada.ca increased cooperation in News
coverage with Radio de Radio-Canada and Télévision de
Radio-Canada. Radio-Canada.ca reporters contributed
to our French-language Radio and Television programs,
and coverage of the federal election and the Torino
Winter Olympics was truly cross-platform, with
resources and content shared right across French and
English services to create exceptional productions that
achieved record audience levels.
In 2005–2006 Radio-Canada.ca’s youth content was
split into two sites: one for 6-to-12-year olds and one
for 3-to-5-year olds. Each new site contains interactive
content and experiences tailored to each age group’s
interests.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA
LAUNCHED SIX NEW
CHANNELS THIS YEAR ON
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
To help increase audiences for our other Frenchlanguage services, Radio-Canada.ca launched a new
guide to French Radio and Television programming for
each region and created multimedia content for Radio
and Television programs, including Point de rupture.
Radio-Canada is the first Canadian French-language
broadcaster to offer podcasting content, popular
primarily with the 18-to-34-year-old group.
Downloadable from Radio-Canada.ca, Le carnet techno,
national News reports, Indicatif présent, Les années
lumière, Macadam tribus and Première Chaîne
highlights proved even more popular than anticipated.
NEXT STEPS
Maintain and consolidate leadership among
Canada’s French-language media sites;
Contribute to the overall strength of
CBC | Radio-Canada by increasing crosspromotion and the sharing of resources and
content with Radio and Television;
Continue to explore new kinds of content
adapted to emerging broadcast platforms.
Radio-Canada.ca celebrated 10 years.
François Dompierre, Espace musique,
Radio de Radio-Canada
Carole Trahan, Espace musique,
Radio de Radio-Canada
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Stanley Péan, Espace musique,
Radio de Radio-Canada
35
T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C E N E
CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S INTERNATIONAL
MISSION: INCREASING UNDERSTANDING
OF CANADIAN VALUES, CULTURE, SOCIAL
AND ECONOMIC LIFE.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S INTERNATIONAL
PRESENCE HAS LONG BEEN DRIVEN BY
THE NECESSITY TO EMBRACE THE WORLD.
CANADA’S
WINDOW
This includes sharing its programming, values and
expertise with partners worldwide, while reciprocally
taking advantage of the best the planet’s other public
broadcasters have to offer. The Corporation’s
international strategy allows it to enrich its
programming with the best foreign content, export
its productions to larger numbers of markets, and
form productive strategic partnerships.
36
CBC | Radio-Canada belongs to the leading
international broadcasting organisations, holding
strategic positions that enable it to influence these
bodies’ key directions and participate fully in the global
debates and issues that matter to Canadians.
TO THE
WORLD
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
I N C R E A S I N G U N D E R S TA N D I N G O F C A N A D I A N V A L U E S ,
C U LT U R E , S O C I A L A N D E C O N O M I C L I F E
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
C B C | R A D I O - C A N A D A O N T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C E N E
37
CBC | RADIO-CANADA
PROGRAMMING ABROAD
PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS:
EXPOSURE OF CBC RADIO PROGRAMMING INTERNATIONALLY
CONTINUES TO GROW: AS IT HAPPENS IS NOW HEARD ON 105
PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS IN THE US, AND OUTFRONT AND OTHER
DOCUMENTARIES CAN BE HEARD ON PRX, A US-BASED PUBLIC
RADIO INTERNET SITE THAT DISTRIBUTES PROGRAMMING TO
PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS FOR TERRESTRIAL BROADCAST.
IN 2005, RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA SIGNED A MAJOR AGREEMENT
WITH RADIO FRANCE INTERNATIONALE (RFI) ALLOWING THE
PREMIÈRE CHAÎNE TO AIR A LIVE DAILY NEWSCAST AS WELL AS
A WEEKLY SELECTION OF RFI’S TOP ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
SHOWS.
CBC TELEVISION’S NEWS, DOCUMENTARY AND ARTS &
ENTERTAINMENT DIVISIONS COLLABORATED ON MORE THAN
TWO DOZEN MAJOR PROJECTS WITH BROADCASTERS IN
AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, GERMANY, IRELAND, ITALY, THE UNITED
KINGDOM, AND THE UNITED STATES, AMONG OTHER COUNTRIES.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA IS A SHAREHOLDER IN TV5MONDE – AN
INTERNATIONAL NETWORK AVAILABLE TO 263 MILLION
HOUSEHOLDS IN 203 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES WORLDWIDE,
WITH OVER 173 MILLION VIEWERS EACH WEEK (CUMULATIVE
AUDIENCE). TV5MONDE ANNUALLY BROADCASTS 400 HOURS OF
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA PROGRAMMING
TORINO 2006 WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OLYMPICS IN THE
HISTORY OF CBC.CA AND RADIO-CANADA.CA, BREAKING ALL
PREVIOUS OLYMPICS TRAFFIC RECORDS.
RADIO-CANADA.CA PROVIDED OUTSTANDING NEWS COVERAGE
AGAIN THIS YEAR, COVERING SUCH EVENTS AS HURRICANE
KATRINA, THE DEATH OF JOHN PAUL II, AND THE ELECTION
OF THE NEW POPE. RADIO-CANADA.CA WAS THE FIRST
FRENCH-LANGUAGE SITE TO REPORT ON THE LONDON BOMBINGS.
C B C | R A D I O - C A N A D A O N T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C E N E
RADIO CANADA INTERNATIONAL
Radio Canada International (RCI), CBC | Radio-Canada’s international Radio service, broadcasts in nine languages
via the Internet, digital and analog shortwave, satellite, and some 400 partner stations worldwide.
RCI has nearly completed its repositioning, having shifted its programming focus from News to the daily concerns
of citizens. The result has been greater interaction between hosts and listeners on air, richer analysis of major
social issues, and more room for human-interest and Arts and Entertainment content.
Since December 2005, RCI has been available in Canada via Sirius Satellite Radio. Its daily Arabic-, Spanish- and
Chinese-language programs have been expanded to a one-hour format. Fifty-three new partnership agreements
were signed with foreign broadcasters (32 in sub-Saharan Africa, in English and French; 19 in Latin America,
including nine in Spanish and 10 in Portuguese; and two in Europe, in Spanish), adding to the 375 local stations
that already carry selected Radio Canada International programming worldwide. In Canada, seven stations carry
RCI programs or program segments in French, Mandarin, Spanish, and Arabic: two in Vancouver, one in
Edmonton, one in Winnipeg, one in Toronto, and two in Montréal.
RCI celebrated its 60th anniversary by hosting a number of live concerts and special events for broadcast on
its airwaves. RCI also signed agreements with Deutsche Welle and Radio Netherlands, which helped give its
programming considerably wider exposure.
The Conference of International Broadcasters’ Audience Research Services (CIBAR) held its annual meeting in
Montréal this year as part of RCI’s 60th anniversary. To mark the last day of the 60th celebrations, RCI teamed up
with Espace musique and CBC Radio Two to produce a cross-cultural project: a concert extravaganza featuring
La Bottine Souriante and the Gran Orquesta Cubana de Montreal during the Montreal High Lights Festival on
February 25, 2006.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
During the fiscal year, RCI carried out 12 co-productions with partner stations: five with RCI’s target countries
in Latin America (Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela); one in Portuguese with Brazil; four in Chinese
with partners Radio Beijing, Radio Chongqing and China National Radio; one in French with Mali; and one in
Arabic with the Voice of Lebanon.
RCI teams also covered selected events in Newfoundland, Edmonton and Calgary to better reflect Canada to
the world.
THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR TRAINING IN PUBLIC BROADCASTING
Since its launch in November 2004, CBC | Radio-Canada’s Canadian Institute for Training in Public Broadcasting/
Institut canadien de formation en radiodiffusion publique has completed a number of projects in Africa and the
Caribbean focused on election coverage, audiovisual trades and broadcast management.
The Institute implemented a training program for the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision du Niger (ORTN) to
help it enhance coverage of the Jeux de la Francophonie, which were held in Niamey, Niger, in December 2005.
Together with the Hirondelle Foundation, the Institute offered a training seminar on election coverage to
journalists from the United Nations-funded radio network Radio Okapi. The Institute also provided employees
from Radio Dahra, one of the regional stations of Radio Nationale Algérienne, with basic training on hosting,
producing, journalism and other radio professions, as well as digital production.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
A report produced by the Latin American section was chosen by the Gabriel Garcia Marquez-chaired Fundación
para un Nuevo Periodismo Iberoamericano (FNPI) to be included in an anthology of the best reports in 2004.
The Canadian Institute for Training in Public Broadcasting collaborated with Réseau Liberté and the NGO
Alternatives on a program aimed at promoting democratic transition in Haiti. The Corporation’s News
professionals trained Haitian journalists to cover the February 2006 presidential election.
The Institute worked closely with The Broadcasting Corporation of the Bahamas to set up a training program for
the public broadcaster’s executives. The Institute also partnered with the Commonwealth Broadcasting
39
T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C E N E
Association to organise two seminars for some two dozen senior managers from Caribbean public television and
radio on leadership and strategic broadcast management.
CBC|RADIO-CANADA PROGRAMMING ABROAD
The biggest achievement of 2005–2006 for CBC Radio was its launch on Sirius Satellite Radio of both CBC Radio
One and CBC Radio 3. Exposure of CBC Radio programming internationally continues to grow: As It Happens is
now heard on 105 public radio stations in the US, including four of the top 10 markets, and Outfront and other
documentaries can be heard on PRX, a US-based public radio Internet site that distributes programming to public
radio stations for terrestrial broadcast.
CBC Radio continues to collaborate with other public broadcasters and is an active participant in documentary,
drama and music exchanges with broadcasters such as BBC, ABC, Radio Netherlands, Radio Hong Kong,
Radio New Zealand, and through the European Broadcasting Union.
CBC Television’s News, Documentary and Arts & Entertainment divisions collaborated on more than two dozen
major projects with broadcasters in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United
States, among other countries. Passion and Fury: The Emotional Brain was co-produced by CBC Television’s
The Nature of Things and the Australian Broadcasting
Corporation. CBC News created new Current Affairs
programs with both the United States and Australia.
CBC News and The New York Times collaborated on
the weekly Times Seven series broadcast to more than
46 million homes in Canada and the US. Hemispheres
continues to be co-produced by CBC Television and the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In the past
18 months, CBC News opened new small bureaux in
Beirut, Nairobi, Los Angeles, and Shanghai,
bringing the total number of foreign bureaux to 14.
Chief Correspondent Peter Mansbridge anchored
CBC News: The National from Torino, Kandahar and
Israel. A newly branded segment called Our World is
now seen three nights a week as part of our flagship
prime-time newscasts, and repackaged into a weekly
half-hour show; work is also in progress on the creation
of a new World Affairs Unit.
RADIO CANADA
INTERNATIONAL (RCI),
CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S
INTERNATIONAL RADIO
SERVICE, BROADCASTS IN
NINE LANGUAGES VIA THE
INTERNET, DIGITAL AND
ANALOG SHORTWAVE,
SATELLITE, AND SOME
400 PARTNER STATIONS
WORLDWIDE.
In 2005–2006, Radio de Radio-Canada launched four
new Radio services on Sirius Canada, of which two,
Première plus and Bande à part, are available to North
America and the Caribbean. The two services available
in Canada are Info plus, a Francophone continuous
400
S TAT I O N S WO R L DW I D E A R E PA R T N E R E D
W I T H R A D I O CA N A DA I N T E R N AT I O N A L ( R C I )
Passion and Fury: The Emotional Brain,
The Nature of Things, CBC Television and
CBC Newsworld
40
Peter Mansbridge reporting from Afghanistan
for CBC Television and CBC Newsworld
C B C | R A D I O - C A N A D A O N T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L S C E N E
information Radio service and RCI plus, a multilingual version of the RCI service, available for the first time in
Canada. These new services broaden Radio de Radio-Canada’s reach and broadcasting capability in North America.
CBC | Radio-Canada is a shareholder in TV5Monde, an international network available to 263 million households
in 203 countries and territories worldwide, and which draws over 173 million viewers each week (cumulative
audience). TV5Monde annually broadcasts 400 hours of Télévision de Radio-Canada programming, including
Le téléjournal; Découverte; Catherine; Un gars, une fille; Grande Ours e; and Ciao Bella. The feature films
La femme qui boit; 20 h 17, rue Darling; and Québec-Montréal were seen across the entire TV5Monde network
in 2005. Le point is a Current Affairs program specially packaged for TV5Monde, with reports from the programs
Enjeux, Zone libre and Le point. During prime time, TV5Monde also airs an international version of 5 sur 5.
Télévision de Radio-Canada hosted a seminar in Montréal on documentaries, organised by the Communauté des
Télévisions Francophones (CTF), which brought together CTF-member public television services, as well as
producers, directors and scriptwriters from Belgium, Switzerland, France, and Canada. During the year, TV5Monde
rebroadcast a number of Radio-Canada News specials, such as the leaders’ debate, the results of the 2006 federal
election, national and provincial celebrations, and major cultural events such as the ADISQ gala and the Soirée
des Jutra.
Adrienne Arsenault reporting from Sri Lanka for
CBC Television and CBC Newsworld
Joyce Napier, Washington correspondent
for Télévision de Radio-Canada
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Radio de Radio-Canada continued to offer
Canadians distinctive programming that
embraces the entire French-speaking world,
in partnership with French, Belgian and
Swiss public radio. La librairie francophone,
a new weekly program aired on the
Première Chaîne and co-produced with
France Inter and the main networks of
RTBF (Belgium) and Radio Suisse Romande
(Switzerland) gives Europeans exposure to
Canadian writers, while exploring the larger
Francophonie literary scene. In Fall 2005,
the four French-language public radio
services celebrated 50 years of cooperation
Students of CBC | Radio-Canada’s Canadian Institute for Training in Public Broadcasting,
by airing a special program that featured a
learning television production in Niger, in preparation for the Jeux de la Francophonie
major call-in segment on the French language,
produced in Montréal and simulcast in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada. Espace musique strengthened its
collaborative ties with European public radio through the European Broadcasting Union.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
In 2005, Radio de Radio-Canada signed a major agreement with Radio France Internationale (RFI) allowing the
Première Chaîne to air a live daily newscast as well as a weekly selection of RFI’s top arts and entertainment shows.
Each day, RFI’s Paris station carries a best-of compilation of Première Chaîne programming, packaged by
Radio de Radio-Canada. To mark the launch of Info plus on Sirius Canada, Radio de Radio-Canada reached an
agreement bringing Canadians morning shows from France Inter, Radio France’s flagship network.
Ginette Lamarche, Brazil correspondent
for Radio de Radio-Canada
41
C B C | R A D I O - C A N A DA S E R V I C E S
CBC | Radio-Canada delivers a comprehensive range of News, information, entertainment and sports programs via
27 different services. It is the only Canadian broadcaster delivering Radio, Television, Internet, and satellite-based
services, in both English and French plus eight Aboriginal languages, to all Canadians. The Corporation’s
broadcasting reach extends across Canada and around the world, offering Canadian content, when, where and how
our audiences want it.
RADIO
CBC RADIO ONE: commercial-free English-language network,
broadcasting local, national and international News, Current Affairs
and general-interest programming.
CBC RADIO TWO: commercial-free English-language network,
featuring music, concerts, national and world News.
CBC RADIO 3: commercial-free English-language network,
offering new music and culture from Canada and around the world,
on CBC Radio Two, Sirius Satellite Radio, and the Internet.
PREMIÈRE CHAÎNE: commercial-free French-language network,
offering News, Public Affairs and cultural programming.
ESPACE MUSIQUE: commercial-free French-language music
network, offering jazz, classical, chanson, diverse world music, and
emerging talent.
BANDEAPART.FM: commercial-free French-language network,
offering emerging music and Francophone artists on Espace musique
and Sirius Satellite Radio, and on the Internet (bandeapart.fm).
CBC NORTH | RADIO-CANADA NORD: Radio and Television services in
English, French and eight Aboriginal languages to Canada’s northern
communities.
RADIO CANADA INTERNATIONAL (RCI): international Radio service
broadcasting in nine languages
S AT E L L I T E R A D I O
CBC RADIO ONE: commercial-free English-language network,
providing national and international News, Current Affairs,
documentaries, Arts, comedy, and popular culture programming.
CBC RADIO 3: commercial-free English-language network
featuring emerging Anglophone music and artists, with 85 per cent
Canadian content.
PREMIÈRE PLUS: commercial-free French-language network,
offering News, Current Affairs, magazines, and cultural programming,
including the best of the Première Chaîne.
INFO PLUS: commercial-free French-language 24-hour all-News,
information and Public Affairs network, offering the best of
Radio-Canada programming.
BANDE À PART: emerging Francophone music and artists.
RCI PLUS: Radio Canada International programming in eight
languages, as well as broadcasts from Canadian and international
network partners.
42
CBC | RADIO-CANADA SERVICES
TELEVISION
CBC TELEVISION: English-language network, delivering a wide
range of general, special-interest and high-impact programming,
News and information.
CBC NEWSWORLD: English-language 24-hour all-News and
information service, financed entirely by subscriptions and
advertising revenue.
CBC COUNTRY CANADA: 24-hour English-language digital
Television service, by subscription, dedicated to regional and
rural programming.
THE DOCUMENTARY CHANNEL: 24-hour English-language digital
Television service, by subscription, offering Canadian and international
documentaries and extending our reach to Canadians.
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA: French-language network delivering a
broad range of general, special-interest and innovative audacious
programming, News and information.
CBC NORTH | RADIO-CANADA NORD: Radio and Television services in
English, French and eight Aboriginal languages to Canada’s northern
communities.
ARTV: French-language arts and culture Television service,
by subscription, offered through a public-private partnership.
TV5MONDE: An international consortium, offering a mix of News and
general-interest French-language Television programming.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
RÉSEAU DE L’INFORMATION DE RADIO-CANADA (RDI): Frenchlanguage 24-hour all-News and information service, financed
entirely by subscriptions and advertising revenue.
CBC.CA: English-language Internet service carrying our Radio and
Television content, unique New Media and Corporate information.
RADIO-CANADA.CA: French-language Internet service carrying our
Radio and Television content, unique New Media and Corporate
information.
CBC RADIO 3: commercial-free English-language network,
offering new music and culture from Canada and around the world,
on CBC Radio Two, Sirius Satellite Radio, and the Internet.
BANDEAPART.FM: commercial-free French-language network,
offering emerging music and Francophone artists on Espace musique
and Sirius Satellite Radio, and on the Internet (bandeapart.fm).
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
INTERNET
REACHING NEW AUDIENCES
GALAXIE: Digital pay commercial-free audio service offering
45 channels of continuous music, without talk, to over five million
subscribers.
CBC RECORDS | LES DISQUES SRC: recording label, releasing about
25 new Canadian CDs annually.
WIRELESS: WAP and SMS messaging services delivering interactive
content to PDAs and cell phones.
43
BEHIND THE SCENES
AUDIENCES ENJOY OUR SERVICES
EVERYDAY. OUR PROGRAMMING
REFLECTS CANADA’S DIVERSITY,
REGIONS AND COMMUNITIES. AND
BEHIND THE SCENES IS AN EFFICIENT
CORPORATION SUPPORTING THOSE
SERVICES.
BEFORE THE
BETTER PROGRAMMING
THROUGH NEW TECHNOLOGY
AND EFFICIENCIES
In the challenging context of a limited budget,
dramatically increasing production costs, and
fragmented audiences and media competition,
CBC | Radio-Canada is optimising assets and
strategically deploying available funds to deliver
on its programming mandate.
During 2005–2006, the Corporation undertook
numerous internal projects to achieve greater efficiency,
boost flexibility or generate additional revenue. Since
2000-2001, in addition to one-time productivity savings
and revenue increases of $115 million, initiatives have
been generating $74 million a year in savings and
revenues, allowing us to increase the value of our
44
services and to further our strategic priority:
Demonstrate that CBC | Radio-Canada is a
well-managed company and generate cash flow
to re-invest in programming.
REAL ESTATE
One main objective of the Real Estate Division is to
maximise the Corporation’s use of buildings and assets
in order to free-up or generate monies for investment in
programming.
This year, the Division helped to develop and obtain
approval for a major redevelopment project in
Vancouver, and consolidation of our St. John’s,
Newfoundland, locations. These projects will integrate
our French and English Radio, Television and New
Media networks and newsrooms, for increased
collaboration and better use of assets; making more
BEHIND THE SCENES
efficient use of real estate; and bringing us into the heart of the community – all to support the production of
excellent programming. These new projects will complement our successful consolidations in Ottawa, Edmonton
and Québec City, completed in the last three fiscal years. Already, more than 10 per cent of CBC | Radio-Canada’s
employees have been relocated to more modern and better working spaces. Similar projects are being considered for
other locations across the country.
To operate more efficiently, the Division utilises best-industry practices across the Corporation. Energy
management programs provide us with approximately $2 million of recurring annual savings while improving
employee comfort. We continue to explore new energy saving measures as part of the Corporation’s commitment
towards the environment. To date, CBC | Radio-Canada Vancouver and Montréal locations have been certified
“Go Green” by their respective provincial BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) chapters.
The Maison de Radio-Canada in Montréal has won the National Earth Award from BOMA Canada for its
continuing environmental practices, and it is in the running for the International Earth Award.
Since 2000, real estate initiatives have freed up more than $82 million of which approximately $13 million is
annually recurring.
During 2005–2006, the Division brought in $6.5 million in revenue – an 18 per cent increase over the previous year –
and opened a store in Montréal and a kiosk in Ottawa to join our Toronto venue and online stores (cbcshop.ca and
boutiqueradio-canada.ca) in providing the Corporation with additional funds for programming. Next year, the
Division will continue to consolidate its retail presence and expand its licensing activities to generate more
re-investment in programming.
CURTAIN RISES
TECHNOLOGY
CBC | Radio-Canada continues to invest in state-of-the-art technology to increase efficiency and quality in the
Corporation’s production and business processes and to allow the introduction of new means of production and
distribution.
CBC Technology began to implement new telecom and broadcast technologies last year, resulting in approximate
annual savings of $1.4 million initially, and $3.7 million in annual savings with full implementation this year.
The Distribution Relay Optimization Project (DROP), which replaced terrestrial networks with satellite, generated
annual savings of $5.2 million for our Television networks, with an additional $1.1 million in annual savings
beginning this year, overachieving its savings target. One million dollars of additional savings in distribution costs
for CBC Newsworld, Galaxie, ARTV, and CBC Country Canada were also achieved.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
CBC | Radio-Canada is one of the most recognised brands in the country. To leverage our programming assets and
achieve all possible revenues for investment in programming, the Corporation created its Merchandising Division in
2002, to license, sell and distribute our content nationally and internationally.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
MERCHANDISING
CBC | Radio-Canada Transmission increased revenue by $412,000 in 2005–2006 by renting space on our towers,
sites and buildings to private broadcasters, cell phone companies and government services; and selling shortwave
transmission services and providing technical maintenance services to other broadcasters.
Various technologies allow us to achieve savings, and create and deliver a larger number and range of high-quality
News stories. These include iNews, for greater sharing of production material between our French, English, Radio
and Television services; ParkerVision, for reducing the number of studio employees required to produce newscasts;
and Desktop Television, for improving the workflow in newsrooms. Desktop Television is being rolled out in
45
BEHIND THE SCENES
Toronto, and the technology will be introduced on a reduced scale in smaller locations in the future. A second
generation of Desktop Radio was introduced this year, as well as more elements of our Vision Project which will
ultimately replace 45 aging and obsolete computer systems with three new, fully integrated systems to manage
contracts, program inventory, broadcast schedule, marketing and sales activities, promos, media management, and
CRTC reporting.
Sophisticated technology allowed the Corporation to employ remote production methods to cover the 2005 IAAF
Games in Helsinki and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, as it had the previous year for the 2004 Summer
Olympic Games in Athens and the 2005 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Moscow. Efficient
compression technologies, low-cost, high-speed and high-capacity optical fibre, and servers with extensive online
storage capacity permitted much of the editing and production to occur in our network production centres in
Toronto and Montréal. Fewer staff and less equipment on location resulted in significant savings.
In June 2005, the CRTC granted Sirius Canada Inc. and Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. licences to provide
subscription radio via satellite. CBC | Radio-Canada Transmission was instrumental in building eight terrestrial
transmitters for Sirius this year, and is providing monitoring and maintenance services for Sirius, generating
important revenue for the Corporation’s programming budgets.
DIGITAL AND HIGH DEFINITION TELEVISION
Since 2003–2004, we have been making the transition to digital high definition transmission, in order to produce
and broadcast excellent television for Canadians. The Corporation is building two HD studios in Toronto and three
in Montréal. Four HD transmitters offer digital and high definition (HD) services in Montréal and Toronto and,
new this year, in Québec City (French) and Vancouver (English). Transmitters for both the English and French
networks will be on air in Ottawa in Autumn 2006.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA
OFFERS DIGITAL AND
HIGH DEFINITION
TELEVISION IN MONTRÉAL,
TORONTO, QUÉBEC CITY,
AND VANCOUVER.
NEXT YEAR: OTTAWA.
High Definition Mobile Truck
46
In September 2005, in response to an invitation from
the Government of Canada, CBC | Radio-Canada
developed and filed an accelerated strategy for the
Corporation’s transition to digital television. If funded
by Government, this proposal will permit
CBC | Radio-Canada to offer all of its prime-time
programming in HD format more quickly than would
otherwise have been the case.
In November 2005, CBC Television created a Video
Syndication (VS) unit within CBC’s Digital
Programming and Business Development group, in
order to satisfy the growing demand for content on new
platforms – from cable video-on-demand, to the
Internet (on CBC.ca and commercial portals), to private
and public screens, to cellular and other mobile devices.
The VS unit will develop programming strategies for
Canadian Broadcasting Centre, Toronto
BEHIND THE SCENES
these platforms in such a way that production pays for itself, and is self-sustaining. The focus will be on
commercial opportunities in video syndication, such as sales to cable or telecommunications companies, or adsupported video programming on CBC.ca. The VS unit will bring in needed revenue for our programming
budgets, while complementing the work of our New Media division which has been syndicating text and video on
the Internet and cellular devices for some years. Importantly, it will also better serve our audiences on the move.
MOBILE DIVISION
Our Mobile Division was created two years ago to make more efficient use of our mobile production equipment; to
ensure that programs have access to the material and expertise they need; and to generate revenue, for investment
in programming, by aggressively marketing excess capacity. The Division has full responsibility for maintenance
and deployment of all of our Television mobile fleet. Our first High Definition Mobile Truck, built and placed in
service this year, is helping us make spectacular Television programming. A second HD mobile was approved by the
Board of Directors, with a target in-service date of April of 2007.
Two years ago, we created our CBC | Radio-Canada Shared Services, to update delivery of transactional and
administrative services in Human Resources, Information Technology and Finance and Administration. Shared
Services has worked to standardise processes, leverage investments in leading-edge technology, and achieve
economies of scale in transaction-intensive services. Much of this was completed this year and the last phase, the
transition of HR services, is slated for completion in 2006–2007. Shared Services’ On-going Quality Assurance
program allows it to monitor performance vis-à-vis established Service Level Agreements requirements. To help
streamline operations and review processes, Shared Services is continuing to develop and refine metric and
monitoring systems. Key Performance Indicators have been identified and Shared Services is developing a proper
interface for data gathering and reporting using Corporate standards. Shared Services is also conducting a survey,
in consultation with CBC Research, to measure employees’ satisfaction with its services, with the aim of improving
performance next year.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
SHARED SERVICES
CONTENT MANAGEMENT
REGIONAL REFLECTION, DIVERSITY, AND SERVING THE COMMUNITY
As Canada’s national public broadcaster, CBC | Radio-Canada creates and broadcasts high-quality programming
that reflects the country’s different regions, broadening diversity and evolving culture; and maintains a strong
presence in communities. These activities are supported by the Corporation’s strategic priorities.
CBC | Radio-Canada invests in the regions by posting journalists in nearly 70 Canadian communities and covering,
in-depth, the local and regional stories that matter to audiences; featuring local speakers and perspective; and
sharing stories with national audiences, to connect citizens across the country. We are the only Canadian broadcaster
to air programs in English and French across the country, in eight Aboriginal languages in the North, and in nine
Adrian Harewood, guest host and upcoming
host of All in a Day, Ottawa, CBC Radio One
Jeff Gilhooly, The Morning Show, St. John’s,
CBC Radio One
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Again in 2005–2006, the Corporation successfully expanded use of programming and revenue from our archives,
and made advances in rights management to obtain and exploit rights for program content.
Francoeur, Télévision de Radio-Canada
47
BEHIND THE SCENES
languages around the world on Radio Canada International. We evaluate our programming to ensure that it meets
Canadians’ expectations, innovating and improving, wherever funding allows. For instance, this year, CBC Television’s
CBC News: Canada Now piloted Here and Now, a regional show in Newfoundland and Labrador, to speak directly
to regional needs and expectations. To round out its Arts and Entertainment coverage on regional newscasts,
Télévision de Radio-Canada aired Art circuit, a magazine devoted to cultural life across the country, live out of Ottawa.
To ensure that we reflect contemporary Canada on-screen and behind-the-scenes, we have a number of initiatives,
including the following:
CBC Television’s Express Diversity (with results such as changes in hiring practices and story selection within
News and Current Affairs; and the requirement for approved internal diversity plans);
CBC Radio’s New Voices strategy (which has introduced thousands of new voices and perspectives in
programs such as Outfront; Global Village; and Legends which, since 2004, has focused on the preservation
of at-risk Aboriginal languages through voice recordings);
Over 30 cross-cultural initiatives involving CBC | Radio-Canada’s English and French services, which help
create synergy and foster productive inter-media exchanges, while bringing communities closer together and
raising awareness of their respective realities. Some such initiatives take the form of special programming
centred on specific themes. For instance, from December 26 to 30, 2005, the Première Chaîne aired
Mosaïques, a five-part series on regional immigration. Originally produced in Rimouski and broadcast on
selected regional stations in Québec, the series was also aired across Canada;
Télévision de Radio-Canada’s strengthened regional content in its News and information service; this speaks
to our desire to reflect Canada’s myriad regional perspectives and characteristics; and
Espace musique, Radio de Radio-Canada’s Canada-wide music network, brings audiences a musically diverse
environment that fosters the multiplicity of musical genres through such initiatives as partnerships with
events in cultural communities, like Le festival du monde arabe and Nuits d’Afrique, artistic creation, and
support for homegrown talent via programs like Sacré talent.
For nearly 70 years, CBC | Radio-Canada has been a vital member of the communities we serve. Everyday, we are
part of Canada’s experience, and not just on our airwaves. We seek out programming opportunities by playing an
active role in hundreds of community events, festivals, literary and artistic competitions, and fundraising events all
over the country.
In recent years, we have worked to strengthen our integration into the community even more fully, and to boost
professional collaboration, resource-sharing and efficiency, by bringing together all of our media lines under one
roof in the heart of three communities: Edmonton, Québec City and Ottawa. Similar downtown moves for our
media lines in other communities are being considered.
We will continue to build strategic partnerships to extend our reach and enhance the range of our services to
Canadians. We will also continue to listen to citizens across the country in order to strengthen relationships with
our audiences and to provide programming that remains relevant to them.
BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING OUR TEAM
One of the Corporation’s eight strategic priorities, Strengthen CBC/Radio-Canada’s commitment to all its
employees – to those who create and those who support them, articulates the important place of employees in the
company and the need to shape a working environment that continues to encourage and facilitate the production of
excellent programming for our audiences.
To create such a supportive environment, the Corporation has put forward strategies that focus on improving
internal communications to enable employees to understand the Corporate direction and equip them to meet
current and future challenges. Professional development and training continues to be one of our top priorities.
In today’s competitive media environment, we need to provide employees with the right tools to fulfill their job
requirements to the highest standards.
48
BEHIND THE SCENES
Also in support of fostering conditions that promote creative programming is the Corporation’s annual tradition
of holding a Leaders’ Forum. In May 2005, CBC | Radio-Canada held its fifth such forum to discuss positioning the
Corporation for the challenging future, and to look for new ways of increasing creativity in an evolving business environment. Management and Union leaders also met for the fourth Union-Management Leaders Forum in April 2005.
ORGANISATIONAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS INITIATIVE
A creative organisation needs to provide a healthy environment in which creativity can flourish. Following the
Corporation’s employee surveys of 2001 and 2004, CBC | Radio-Canada Management and Unions recognised the
need to act on certain employee-related wellness issues cited in the survey findings, and Human Resources is
making this a priority. A Director of Wellness was appointed in April 2005 to implement
overall, integrated and proactive strategies on heath and wellness for staff and the
organisation as a whole, and to oversee Safety and Environment operations. Recognising the
value of gathering concrete data on health issues, in June 2005, the Corporation conducted a
survey on the psychological well-being of employees that revealed certain work-related health,
security and mental illness risk-factors. Survey results have led to a number of concrete actions,
where Management, Unions and employees are working together to address challenges in the
workplace.
Set for The Greatest Canadian, Studio 40,
Canadian Broadcasting Centre,Toronto
CBC | Radio-Canada also reached agreement on a new contract with the Association of
Professionals and Supervisors (APS) this year in a calm and productive process.
To facilitate the creation and broadcast of high-quality programming, for the last seven years the Corporation has
taken a strategic approach to industrial relations with the intention of rationalising our complex labour environment.
Following a 2003–2004 Canadian Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) decision, three bargaining units were
amalgamated into one to allow CBC English Services to more effectively and efficiently manage its business with
more flexibility, which is a crucial requirement in a highly competitive and evolving media environment. In
2004–2005, the Corporation began negotiations with the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) to achieve one collective
agreement for three formerly separate bargaining units. The objective was to craft an agreement that meets the
needs of employees and the CMG, while supporting the Corporation’s goals as a well-managed company in a
changing broadcasting environment.
Negotiations did not go as smoothly as hoped this fiscal year, and after 15 months in pursuit of a negotiated
contract settlement, Management came to the conclusion that an agreement would not be reached without a work
stoppage and made the difficult decision to lock out its CMG employees in order to force the negotiations to a
conclusion. While this decision most certainly caused short-term difficulties for employees and inconvenience for
our audiences, it was necessary for the longer term health of public service broadcasting in Canada. An agreement
between Management and the CMG was ratified in October 2005. To help CMG’s effective return to work,
Management provided numerous information and re-integration sessions across the country for both CMG
employees and Management. This year’s difficult events have encouraged the Corporation to review its employee
relations strategy, with particular attention to the management of organisational change as it affects the workforce
and the work we do.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
The Corporation this year concluded agreements with its two largest French-language unions,
the Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada (SCRC) and the Syndicat des
Technicien(ne)s et Artisan(ne)s du réseau français de Radio-Canada (STARF). In both cases,
agreement was reached before the collective agreements had expired and in an atmosphere of
mutual respect throughout the bargaining process. These agreements will be in effect for
three years.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Employment equity, official languages, health and safety, workforce diversity, and business continuity planning
were also among our Corporate priorities this year.
Overall, CBC | Radio-Canada’s strategy is designed to help us shape a workplace where creativity, programming
and service to Canadians will flourish in fiscally responsible ways.
49
P U B L I C A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
CBC | RADIO-CANADA HAS AN
OBLIGATION TO REPORT TO
CANADIANS ON THE FULFILMENT
OF ITS COMMITMENTS. THIS IS
ACCOMPLISHED USING A VARIETY
OF COMMUNICATION CHANNELS
AND VEHICLES.
OPEN AND
TRANSPARENT
FOR EXAMPLE, CBC | RADIO-CANADA ACCOUNTS FOR ITS ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE
MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE TO PARLIAMENT, THROUGH ITS ANNUAL REPORT
AND CORPORATE PLAN SUMMARY; TO THE CANADIAN RADIO-TELEVISION AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CRTC) THROUGH YEAR-END REPORTS AND
ANNUAL FINANCIAL RETURNS; AND TO STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH ONGOING DIALOGUE
AND INTERACTION AND CBC | RADIO-CANADA WEBSITES.
50
P U B L I C A C C O U N TA B I L I T Y
Here are examples of reporting instruments:
ANNUAL REPORT OF CBC | RADIO-CANADA TO THE CANADIAN RADIO-TELEVISION AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CRTC)
CBC | RADIO-CANADA CORPORATE PLAN AND CORPORATE PLAN SUMMARY
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT
AUDITOR GENERAL SPECIAL EXAMINATION REPORT
AUDITOR GENERAL ANNUAL ATTEST AUDIT
ANNUAL REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
CANADA (HRSDC) EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 41 OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES ACT REPORT
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS OF CANADA
CBC | Radio-Canada has an extensive code of Journalistic Standards and Practices and solid editorial control
mechanisms to guide its employees and to ensure that those working on its programming remain balanced and
accurate in their on-air perspectives and reporting. Complaints from the public that are not resolved at the
program level to the satisfaction of the complainants are examined and dealt with by the Corporation’s two
independent Ombudsmen, each of whom is completely independent of CBC | Radio-Canada programming staff
and programming management and is reporting directly to the President of the Corporation and, through the
President, to the Corporation’s Board of Directors. The role of each Ombudsman is pivotal in strengthening the
national public broadcaster’s accountability and transparency to Canadians. The Ombudsmen can be reached at:
The Ombudsman, English Networks, CBC | Radio-Canada, PO Box 500, Station A, Toronto ON M5W 1E6
([email protected]); and Bureau de l’ombudsman, Services français, CBC | Radio-Canada, CP 6000, Montréal
QC H3C 3A8 ([email protected]).
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS AND PRACTICES
CBC | Radio-Canada employees at all levels and across the Corporation are expected to adhere to policies
governing their behaviour in such areas as: conflict of interest and ethics; whistleblowing; official languages;
harassment; and political activity. A selection of the Corporation’s Human Resources policies is available for
viewing online at: http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/docs/policies/index.shtml.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
CODES OF CONDUCT
51
G OV E R N A N C E
HIGHLIGHTS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS COMPOSITION
Significant change in the membership of the Board of Directors occurred just as the previous fiscal year ended and the
new year began, with a total of eight new Directors appointed during the months of February and April 2005.
In addition, a new Chairman of the Board, Guy Fournier, was appointed in October 2005 to replace Carole Taylor
who resigned in March 2005. Pursuant to the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, the President and CEO served
as Acting Chair during the intervening period.
COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF GOVERNANCE AT CBC | RADIO-CANADA
Developments proliferated in 2005 on the topic of corporate governance, especially with respect to Crown
Corporations. To assist the Board in identifying the priorities for CBC | Radio-Canada, Management compiled a report
card on the current state of governance at CBC | Radio-Canada, examining both external and internal developments
affecting the Corporation from a corporate governance perspective, including:
REVIEW OF THE GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK FOR CANADA’S CROWN CORPORATIONS –
MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF CANADIANS – TREASURY BOARD SECRETARIAT
REPORT (FEBRUARY 2005);
THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL 2005 REPORT: CHAPTER 7 – GOVERNANCE
OF CROWN CORPORATIONS (FEBRUARY 2005);
REPORT OF THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL ON THE CBC 2005 SPECIAL
EXAMINATION (NOVEMBER 2005).
The Report Card generated a number of recommendations for Board and Management action during 2006–2007
to ensure that CBC | Radio-Canada keeps pace with new developments.
52
GOVERNANCE
REPORTING ON CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE POLICIES AND PRACTICES
BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES
In 1998, the Board adopted Terms of Reference for the Board, the Board Chairperson, the President and CEO,
individual Directors, and Board Committees, which together delineate the roles and responsibilities for each
element within CBC | Radio-Canada’s governance structure. These were substantially revised in 2002 and are
reviewed periodically and updated as necessary to ensure that they continue to provide appropriate guidance to
the Board, to address emerging issues and to reflect current best practices.
Key responsibilities include:
APPROVAL OF THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION, CORPORATE AND BUSINESS PLANS
FOR THE CORPORATION;
OVERSIGHT OF THE RISK MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK TO ENSURE THAT THE PRINCIPAL
RISKS OF THE CORPORATION’S BUSINESS ARE IDENTIFIED AND MANAGED APPROPRIATELY;
APPROVAL OF MANAGEMENT’S SUCCESSION PLAN FOR SENIOR MANAGEMENT, THE INDUSTRIAL
OVERSIGHT OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES TO ENSURE
THE AVAILABILITY AND INTEGRITY OF INFORMATION FOR BOARD AND MANAGEMENT
DECISION-MAKING;
ASSESSMENT OF THE CORPORATION’S PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING ITS STRATEGIC
AND BUSINESS OBJECTIVES;
GOVERNANCE
OVERSIGHT OF THE PLANS AND POLICIES IN PLACE TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
WITH PARLIAMENT, THE PUBLIC AND STAKEHOLDERS.
BOARD INDEPENDENCE
Since 1991, the roles of Chairperson of the Board and President and CEO have been separate, pursuant to the
provisions of the Broadcasting Act. The Act also provides, however, that where a vacancy exists in the office of
the Chairperson, the President and CEO shall act as Chairperson.
The President and CEO is the only Director who is also a member of Management. The Directors periodically
meet without Senior Management present, and on occasion, in the absence of the President and CEO, to ensure
that there are opportunities for discussion of any sensitive issues.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
RELATIONS STRATEGY, AND THE OVERALL POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THE CORPORATION;
CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CODE OF CONDUCT
All Directors are subject to Confidentiality, Code of Conduct and Conflict of Interest rules and are required
to disclose the existence of any potential or actual conflicts of interest on a timely basis so that they may be
managed appropriately.
THE POSITION OF THE CEO
Prominent among the Board’s key responsibilities each year are the tasks of establishing objectives for the
upcoming year and evaluating the performance of the President and CEO for the preceding year. These two
processes support, document and reinforce the accountability of the President and CEO to the Board.
53
G OV E R N A N C E
BOARD EVALUATION
In 2004, the Board, with the assistance of outside expertise retained specifically for this purpose, developed
and implemented an evaluation process to assess its effectiveness as a Board. Due to the major change in the
composition of the Board that occurred early in calendar year 2005, the Board concluded that it would be
premature to undertake a Board evaluation before March 31, 2006. An evaluation will be conducted early
in the 2006–2007 year.
BOARD RENEWAL
The Board continues to affirm its ongoing commitment to encourage the selection of Board members whose
skills, experience and qualifications are responsive to the needs of the Corporation and who, as a group, reflect
CBC | Radio-Canada’s critical and unique role as Canada’s national public broadcaster. Consistent with this, in
2005, the Board undertook a review of its selection criteria for the Chairperson and for individual Directors and
approved further refinements to both. These criteria have been submitted to the Government for consideration in
the selection process for new Board members.
In addition, development of current Board members is supported through both internal and external training
programs to ensure that governance and other topical issues are brought to the Board’s attention.
BOARD COMPENSATION
The Board reviewed its compensation practices in March 2006. Pursuant to the provisions of the Broadcasting Act,
changes to Directors’ compensation are subject to approval by the Minister of Canadian Heritage. At the time of
writing the 2005–2006 Annual Report, the changes had been submitted to the Minister for ratification.
BOARD ATTENDANCE
Board Members’ attendance is recorded and reported each year to the Nominating and Governance Committee.
WHISTLEBLOWER POLICY
In September 2004, CBC | Radio-Canada introduced a whistleblower policy, the Corporate Policy on Disclosure of
Wrongdoings, as part of its Corporate policy framework. Information sessions were conducted for business units
across Canada during Spring/Summer.
54
THE FINANCIALS
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
AS CANADA’S NATIONAL PUBLIC
BROADCASTER AND A CROWN
CORPORATION, CBC | RADIO-CANADA
IS RESPONSIBLE TO PARLIAMENT
AND TO CANADIANS.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
F I N A N C I A L PA G E S
55
M A N A G E M E N T D I S C U S S I O N A N D A N A LY S I S
THE 2005–2006 YEAR PROVED TO
BE AN ACTIVE AND CHALLENGING
ONE FOR CBC | RADIO-CANADA.
SEVERAL SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL
TRANSACTIONS AND ISSUES WERE
COMPLETED OR RESOLVED DURING
THE YEAR.
THE YEAR
IN REVIEW
AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT, IN JUNE 2005 THE CRTC APPROVED SIRIUS CANADA’S
APPLICATION FOR A SUBSCRIPTION SATELLITE RADIO LICENSE TO BROADCAST IN
CANADA. CBC | RADIO-CANADA PARTNERED WITH TWO MAJOR BROADCASTERS,
SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO INC. (USA) AND STANDARD RADIO INC., TO BRING CANADIANS
AN UNPARALLELED MUSIC SELECTION AND AN UNMATCHED LINEUP OF SPORTS, NEWS,
TALK, AND ENTERTAINMENT VIA SATELLITE. LISTENERS THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA
ARE ABLE TO ENJOY SIX CHANNELS PRODUCED BY CBC | RADIO-CANADA: CBC RADIO ONE,
CBC RADIO 3, PREMIÈRE PLUS, INFO PLUS, AND BANDE À PART; AND THE BEST OF
RADIO CANADA INTERNATIONAL ON THE NEW MULTILINGUAL STATION, RCI PLUS.
56
M A N A G E M E N T D I S C U S S I O N A N D A N A LY S I S
During the month of February 2006, CBC | Radio-Canada broadcast the Torino Olympic Winter Games and
millions of Canadians watched or listened to medal-winning moments on more platforms than ever before.
From a financial perspective, the Games produced excellent results, as expected.
THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA ONCE AGAIN RENEWED THE $60 MILLION in one-time funding
for 2005–2006. This funding, which we have received for five consecutive years, allowed the Corporation to
further strengthen and revitalise English and French Television and Radio programming, and to reflect the everincreasing diversity of Canadian society. Examples of programs produced and aired thanks to this funding
include: Grande Ourse, Les Bougon – c’est aussi ça la vie!, Trudeau, China Rises, Lévesque, Random Passage,
and the development of unique bilingual programs and events like the highly acclaimed Breaking Point/
Point de rupture.
CBC TELEVISION – $27 MILLION
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA – $18 MILLION
CBC RADIO – $5 MILLION
RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA – $5 MILLION
OTHER PROGRAMMING INITIATIVES – $5 MILLION
In November 2005, THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL RELEASED ITS SPECIAL EXAMINATION
REPORT to CBC | Radio-Canada. The report concluded that during the period under examination, except for
performance measurement and reporting, the systems and practices of CBC | Radio-Canada were designed and
operated in a way that provided reasonable assurance that assets were safeguarded and controlled, resources
were managed economically and efficiently, and operations were carried out effectively. The entire report can
be found at CBC.ca or Radio-Canada.ca (http://CBC.Radio-Canada.ca/docs/auditor/index.shtml).
Furthermore, the project to evaluate the EFFECTIVENESS OF CBC | RADIO-CANADA’S INTERNAL
CONTROLS continued. The ultimate goal of the project is to provide Senior Management with adequate tools
in order to attest to the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. This is in line with the recent
announcement by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) that they will propose amendments to
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
(millions of dollars)
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
DISTRIBUTION OF THE 2005–2006
NON-RECURRING FUNDING OF $60 MILLION
Multilateral Instrument 52-109, Certification of Disclosure in Issuer’s Annual and Interim Filings, to be issued
in 2006. The amendments would expand the CEO/CFO certification to require certification with respect to
the effectiveness of the internal controls over financial reporting. The internal controls project includes the
documentation and evaluation of internal controls over financial statements for 19 financial processes and the
documentation and evaluation of financial processes and internal controls over financial statements affected by a
project which will provide a single, integrated way to manage contracts and content, program inventory and
schedules, broadcast and media management, revenue management, marketing and sales, promotions, and air
57
M A N A G E M E N T D I S C U S S I O N A N D A N A LY S I S
time analysis for both CBC Television and Télévision de Radio-Canada. The scope of this system implementation
involves replacing 45 legacy systems with three new systems: OnAir (broadcast management), Livelink
(contracts) and RMS (revenue management). The project team is also documenting and evaluating the Information
Technology (IT) general controls. A team of external experts has been assisting the CBC | Radio-Canada team in the
different phases of the project. The project is scheduled for completion by March 2007.
As part of the annual business planning process for 2005–2006, media lines and Corporate components
identified and ranked their most significant risks to achieving business objectives. Standard risk definitions
and evaluation criteria were used to prioritise risks on the basis of inherent risk scores, which are a function
of impact and likelihood. In addition, action plans were developed and responsibility assigned for managing
key risks. The top risks and associated action plans were presented to the Board of Directors. Some of the
more significant risks included uncertainty regarding CBC | Radio-Canada’s future government funding levels,
distribution technology changes, programming issues, erosion of audience share, and decreased revenues.
THE CBC PENSION PLAN IS HEALTHY and, in fact, as of December 31, 2005, was in a significant surplus
position on a going-concern basis. However, under federal regulations, if a federal corporation’s (including a
Crown Corporation’s) pension plan is in a deficit position on a “solvency” basis or on a “going-concern” basis,
that corporation is required to make up that deficit through additional contributions to the plan. Like some
estimated 80 per cent of Canadian pension plans, as of December 31, 2005 – the valuation date – the
CBC Pension Plan had a solvency deficit. This deficit was caused largely by historically low long-term
interest rates at that moment of valuation. The deficit was evaluated at $89.1 million. Under federal regulations,
corporations in a deficit position are required to repay that deficit with interest over five years. However, the
Federal Budget released in May 2006 proposed important measures that will provide temporary relief to
corporations like CBC | Radio-Canada by extending, under certain conditions, the timeframe during which
solvency payments must be made. When adopted, these measures could reduce the amount (currently estimated
at $20.1 million) for the 2006 calendar year by half. For 2005–2006, the cost of the special contribution to the
CBC Pension Plan was $5.025 million. The Plan’s position will automatically be re-evaluated at the end of
calendar year 2006 and if, at that time, the financial position of the Plan has improved to the point where the
deficit has been eliminated, the special contributions will be suspended.
ANALYSIS OF 2005–2006 CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
BALANCE SHEET
In 2005, the Corporation adopted Accounting Guideline 15, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities.
This adoption resulted in a restatement of some balance sheet elements. More information is provided in the
Financial Statements and in Note 3.
The level of cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments decreased from last year mainly due to the
$7 million investment in Sirius Canada Inc., a decreased requirement for cash to pay Olympic rights
($34 million paid in 2004–2005 versus $10 million paid in 2005–2006), a $20 million payment for the cost
of the results of job evaluation, and the cost of disaffiliation ($9 million).
The increase in accounts receivable is the result of outstanding invoices for the Torino Winter Olympic Games
held in February 2006.
The item “Inventory” increased due to the production of such programs as Hockey: A People’s History,
scheduled to be broadcast in the Fall of 2006, and Street Cents, which was broadcast in the Spring of 2006.
58
M A N A G E M E N T D I S C U S S I O N A N D A N A LY S I S
Long-term investments decreased because the Corporation did not invest in marketable securities with a
maturity term longer than one year from the balance sheet date.
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities increased mainly as a result of a rise in municipal taxes and an increase
in the level of accruals (or outstanding invoices) related to the purchase of capital equipment for high definition
television.
The increase in the item “Employee-related liabilities (long-term)” reflects the impact of the application of rules
respecting employee future benefits. Under these rules, actuarial accounting must be used to determine liabilities
relative to the Pension Fund and to other employee future benefits.
REVENUES – 2005–2006
The slight decrease in advertising revenues and program sales is due to a substantial loss of revenue by
CBC Television during the National Hockey League (NHL) lockout and its own labour disruption in the
Movie Night in Canada. Advertising revenue losses in CBC Television were partially offset by increased revenues
generated by Télévision de Radio-Canada due to the remarkable performance of its programming. Revenue
generated from the Torino Winter Olympic Games also offset the loss of revenues. In spite of all these events,
advertising revenues only reached 85 per cent of the original target set for various media lines in 2005–2006.
The increase in revenues for Specialty Services is mostly attributable to a greater number of subscribers for
CBC Newsworld, le Réseau de l’information de Radio-Canada (RDI) and Galaxie. Overall, Specialty Services
revenues represent 106 per cent of the targets set at the beginning of the year.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
late Summer/early Fall 2005. This loss was offset by advertising revenues on replacement programming such as
Other income, which surpassed expectations by 11 per cent for 2005–2006, includes revenues generated from
the host broadcasting activities during the World Aquatics Championships in Montréal. Increased revenues were
also generated by Télévision de Radio-Canada from agreements with independent producers, for programs such
REVENUES AND OPERATING SOURCES
OF FUNDS – CBC|RADIO-CANADA
(millions of dollars)
118
144
77
AMORTISATION OF
DEFERRED CAPITAL
FUNDING
SPECIALTY SERVICES
117
138
87
315
AMORTISATION OF DEFERRED CAPITAL FUNDING
322
60
(item not affecting current operating funds)
60
CBC NEWSWORLD, RDI, GALAXIE, AND CBC COUNTRY CANADA
1,346
1,398
946
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
as Véro and Le match des étoiles. On a year-to-year basis, other income was affected negatively by the expiry of
the contract to provide programming and services to Newsworld International USA.
MAIN CHANNELS
OTHER AND FINANCING INCOME
ADVERTISING AND PROGRAM SALES
877
ADDITIONAL NON-RECURRING FUNDING
PARLIAMENTARY APPROPRIATION FOR OPERATIONS
2005-2006
2004-2005
59
M A N A G E M E N T D I S C U S S I O N A N D A N A LY S I S
EXPENSES – 2005–2006
On a year-to-year basis, the expenditure reduction reflects the decrease in the cost of the Torino Olympic Winter
Games compared to the cost of the Athens Olympic Summer Games and a reduced level of activity during the
Canadian Media Guild (CMG) lockout. Also in 2004-2005, the expenditures included the cost of broadcasting
World Cup Hockey. Actual expenses for Television and Radio services represent approximately 95 per cent of
budgets set at the beginning of the year.
The increase in Specialty Services expenditures represents an investment in new programming initiatives that were
in line with budgets for 2005–2006.
2005–2006 OPERATING EXPENDITURES*
1,704 MILLIONS OF $
(millions of dollars)
CBC TELEVISION $616 (36%)
TÉLÉVISION DE RADIO-CANADA $402 (24%)
CBC RADIO $202 (12%)
RADIO DE RADIO-CANADA $146 (9%)
CORPORATE MANAGEMENT $17 (1%)
AMORTISATION OF PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT $124 (7%)
SPECIALTY SERVICES $126 (7%)
DISTRIBUTION AND AFFILIATES $71 (4%)
* Excluding provision of income and large corporation taxes
2006–2007 AND SUBSEQUENT YEARS
In May 2006, the Government of Canada included one-time funding of $60 million in the Main Estimates tabled
for 2006–2007.
Also in May 2006, CBC |Radio-Canada and Corus Entertainment Inc. reached an agreement that saw the
Corporation purchase Corus Entertainment’s 53 per cent ownership stake in The Documentary Channel. Along
with the 29 per cent CBC | Radio-Canada currently owns, this will give the Corporation majority ownership and
control of the channel. As of the date of this Annual Report, the agreement was subject to the approval of the CRTC.
In 2006–2007, the risk management process will be further enhanced to include a detailed presentation of key risks,
action plans and mitigation strategies to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. In addition, an update to
the Audit Committee on the key risks will be discussed at each of its meetings throughout the year. Furthermore,
starting in 2006–2007, Management will be required, as part of the business planning process, to report on the
success of their action plans with respect to managing the key risks identified the previous year. CBC | Radio-Canada
has adopted an enterprise-wide approach to risk management.
60
M A N A G E M E N T D I S C U S S I O N A N D A N A LY S I S
CBC | Radio-Canada operates in one of the world’s most competitive broadcasting environments and, despite
swelling financial pressures like rising production costs, rising health care costs, aging transmission and production
assets, it continues to deliver great value to Canadians. Going forward, the onus remains on us to persevere in
advancing our strategic priorities and to continue to provide Canadians with the range and quality of services that
they have come to expect from their public broadcaster.
This being said, there is no question that the Corporation ultimately requires stable, multi-year government funding
to surmount the many challenges it faces and to truly fulfil its mandate. We will continue to voice this need on
behalf of Canadians.
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PAST FIVE YEARS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Parliamentary appropriations
Non-recurring funding
for programming initiatives
946
877
873
877
780
60
60
60
60
60
315
63
144
322
73
138
283
79
132
284
73
123
319
82
118
1,367
126
1,383
121
1,330
116
1,198
117
1,151
104
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
1.45
1.01
1.36
0.92
1.64
1.25
1.55
1.24
1.61
1.27
REVENUE
Advertising and program sales
Other income
Specialty Services
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
(MILLIONS OF DOLLARS)
Television and Radio services costs
Specialty Services
FINANCIAL RATIOS
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31
LIQUIDITY RATIOS
Current ratio1
Quick ratio2
1
Current assets / current liabilities
2
(Current assets-inventory) / current liabilities
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
EXPENSES
61
MANAGEMENT’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE
C O N S O L I DAT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
The consolidated financial statements and all other information presented in this Annual Report are the
responsibility of management and have been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors of the
Corporation. These consolidated financial statements, which include amounts based on management’s best
estimates as determined through experience and judgement, have been properly prepared within reasonable
limits of materiality and are in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.
Management of the Corporation maintains books of account, records, financial and management controls, and
information systems, which are designed to provide reliable and accurate financial information on a timely
basis. These controls provide reasonable assurance that assets are safeguarded, that resources are managed
economically and efficiently in the attainment of corporate objectives, that the operations of the Corporation
are carried out effectively and that transactions are in accordance with the applicable provisions of Part X of
the Financial Administration Act, Part III of the Broadcasting Act and the by-laws of the Corporation.
The Corporation’s Internal Auditor has the responsibility for assessing the Corporation’s systems, procedures
and practices. The Auditor General of Canada conducts an independent audit of the annual consolidated
financial statements and reports on her audit to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women.
The Board of Directors’ Audit Committee, which consists of five members, none of whom is an officer of
the Corporation, reviews and advises the Board on the financial statements and the Auditor General’s report
thereto. The Audit Committee oversees the activities of Internal Audit and meets with management, the
Internal Auditor and the Auditor General on a regular basis to discuss the financial reporting process as well
as auditing, accounting and reporting issues.
OTTAWA, CANADA
JUNE 7, 2006
PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
62
VICE-PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
A U D I TO R ’ S R E P O RT
To the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women
I have audited the consolidated balance sheet of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as at March 31, 2006
and the consolidated statements of operations and equity and cash flows for the year then ended. These
financial statements are the responsibility of the Corporation’s management. My responsibility is to express
an opinion on these financial statements based on my audit.
I conducted my audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards
require that I plan and perform an audit to obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial statements are
free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts
and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used
and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement
presentation.
position of the Corporation as at March 31, 2006 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the
year then ended in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles. As required by the
Financial Administration Act, I report that, in my opinion, these principles have been applied, after giving
retroactive effect to the change in the method of accounting for variable interest entities as explained in note 3
to the financial statements, on a basis consistent with that of the preceding year.
Further, in my opinion, the transactions of the Corporation that have come to my notice during my audit of
the consolidated financial statements have, in all significant respects, been in accordance with the applicable
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
In my opinion, these consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial
provisions of Part X of the Financial Administration Act, Part III of the Broadcasting Act and the by-laws of
SHEILA FRASER, FCA
AUDITOR GENERAL OF CANADA
OTTAWA, CANADA
JUNE 7, 2006
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
the Corporation.
63
C O N S O L I DAT E D BA L A N C E S H E E T
AS AT MARCH 31
2006
2005
(restated, Note 3)
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
ASSETS
CURRENT
Cash and cash equivalents
Short-term investments (NOTE 4)
Accounts receivable
Inventory (NOTE 5)
Prepaid expenses
Net investment in sales-type leases (NOTE 6)
Property and equipment (NOTE 7)
Long-term receivables (NOTE 8)
Net investment in sales-type leases (NOTE 6)
Deferred charges
Long-term investments (NOTE 9)
93,658
181,048
145,584
56,795
1,771
20,487
82,794
128,318
124,951
56,300
1,685
478,856
414,535
971,649
72,016
65,551
12,908
3,924
983,036
73,963
66,929
13,464
38,393
1,604,904
1,590,320
2,556
142,231
167,247
17,766
112,934
174,943
17,462
329,800
305,339
298,230
342,348
599,541
230,606
349,216
629,987
1,240,119
1,209,809
34,985
75,172
1,604,904
1,590,320
LIABILITIES
CURRENT
Bank overdraft
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Employee-related liabilities (NOTE 10)
Bonds payable, including accrued interest (NOTE 12)
LONG-TERM
Employee-related liabilities (NOTE 10)
Bonds payable (NOTE 12)
Deferred capital funding (NOTE 13)
EQUITY
Equity
Commitments and contingencies (NOTES 14 AND 15)
The accompanying notes form an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
DIRECTOR
64
DIRECTOR
C O N S O L I DAT E D S TAT E M E N T
O F O P E R AT I O N S A N D E Q U I T Y
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
REVENUES
Advertising and program sales
Specialty Services (NOTE 16)
Other income
Financing income
314,708
144,265
62,598
14,737
321,670
138,288
73,049
13,699
536,308
546,706
1,366,659
126,348
63,023
7,997
16,542
123,841
1,383,164
120,662
63,748
8,058
16,525
122,675
1,704,410
1,714,832
(1,168,102)
(1,168,126)
1,006,231
117,956
936,771
116,729
1,124,187
1,053,500
OPERATING LOSS BEFORE GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND TAXES
GOVERNMENT FUNDING
Parliamentary appropriation for operating expenditures (NOTE 17)
Amortisation of deferred capital funding (NOTE 13)
NET RESULTS BEFORE TAXES
(Provision) recovery of income and large corporations taxes (NOTE 18)
NET RESULTS FOR THE YEAR
EQUITY, BEGINNING OF YEAR
WORKING CAPITAL FUNDING (NOTE 17)
EQUITY, END OF YEAR
The accompanying notes form an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
(43,915)
(272)
(114,626)
974
(44,187)
75,172
4,000
(113,652)
184,824
4,000
34,985
75,172
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Television and Radio service costs
Specialty Services (NOTE 16)
Transmission, distribution and collection
Payments to private stations
Corporate management
Amortisation of property and equipment
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
EXPENSES
65
C O N S O L I DAT E D S TAT E M E N T O F C A S H F L OW S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31
2006
2005
(restated, Note 3)
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN)
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net results for the year
Items not involving cash:
Loss (gain) on disposal of property and equipment
Amortisation of property and equipment
Loss (income) from investments in entities subject
to significant influence
Change in long-term receivables
Amortisation of deferred charges
Amortisation of deferred capital funding
Change in employee-related liabilities [current]
Change in employee-related liabilities [long-term]
Net change in non-cash working capital balances (NOTE 19)
(44,187)
(113,652)
434
123,841
(7,293)
122,675
7,109
556
(117,956)
(384)
67,624
(61,860)
(137)
(4,224)
472
(116,729)
(1,628)
75,592
(27,704)
(24,823)
(72,628)
87,510
4,000
(6,378)
95,757
4,000
(5,927)
85,132
93,830
(116,067)
(7,000)
34,360
647
1,575
1,285
1,848
(118,404)
(34,360)
534
5,329
1,198
12,298
(83,352)
(133,405)
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Parliamentary appropriations (NOTE 17)
Capital funding
Working capital funding
Repayment of bonds payable
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Acquisition of property and equipment
Purchase of long-term investments
Maturity of long-term investments
Recovery from salary advances
Capital recovery from notes receivable
Capital recovery from net investment in sales-type leases
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment
(23,043)
(112,203)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR
20,487
132,690
(BANK OVERDRAFT) CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, END OF YEAR
(2,556)
20,487
2,556
-
158
20,329
DECREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Consist of:
Bank overdraft
Cash
Cash equivalents
Supplementary information
Interest paid
Income tax paid (recovered)
The accompanying notes form an integral part of the consolidated financial statements.
66
26,659
362
27,113
(809)
N OT E S TO T H E C O N S O L I DAT E D
F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
1. AUTHORITY AND OBJECTIVE
CBC | Radio-Canada (the Corporation) was first established by the 1936 Canadian Broadcasting Act and continued
by the 1958, 1968 and 1991 Broadcasting Acts. The Corporation is an agent of Her Majesty and all property
acquired by the Corporation is the property of Her Majesty.
As the national public broadcaster, CBC | Radio-Canada provides Radio and Television services in both official
languages incorporating predominantly and distinctively Canadian programs to reflect Canada and its regions to
national and regional audiences.
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The financial statements of the Corporation have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted
accounting principles and include the following significant accounting policies.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Corporation and the Broadcast Centre Trust,
a variable interest entity (VIE) of which the Corporation is the primary beneficiary.
B. Parliamentary Appropriations and Deferred Capital Funding
The Corporation receives a substantial portion of its funding from the Government of Canada. Parliamentary
appropriations for operating expenditures are recorded in the Statement of Operations and Equity. Parliamentary
appropriations for property and equipment subject to amortisation are recorded as deferred capital funding on
the Balance Sheet, and are amortised on the same basis and over the same periods as the related property and
equipment. Parliamentary appropriations for working capital and purchase of lands are recorded in Equity.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
A. Basis of Consolidation
C. Cash Equivalents
D. Short-term Investments
Short-term investments, which are carried at cost as they are intended to be held to maturity, consist of marketable
securities with original maturity dates in excess of three months and current maturities of less than 12 months from
the balance sheet date.
E. Foreign Currency Translation
Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to Canadian dollars at the exchange
rates in effect at the balance sheet date and non-monetary items are translated at rates in effect when the assets
were acquired or obligations incurred. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates during the
year. All exchange gains or losses are included in determining net results for the year.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Cash equivalents, which are carried at cost as they are intended to be held to maturity, are comprised of marketable
securities with original maturity dates of less than 90 days.
67
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
F. Derivative Financial Instruments
The Corporation uses derivative financial instruments such as forward contracts to manage the risk of loss due to
adverse movements in foreign exchange. Foreign exchange forwards are contractual obligations in which two counterparties agree to exchange one currency for another at a specified price for settlement at a predetermined future
date. The Corporation’s policy is not to utilise derivative financial instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
A derivative must be designated and effective to be accounted for as a hedge. Effectiveness is achieved if the cash
flows or fair values of the derivative substantially offset changes in cash flow or fair value of the hedged position
and the timing is similar.
The Corporation formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its
risk management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. This process includes linking
all derivatives to specific firm commitments. The Corporation also formally assesses, both at the hedge’s inception
and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions are highly effective in
offsetting changes in fair values or cash flows of hedged items.
Foreign exchange gains or losses related to derivatives that are hedged are recognised at the same time as the
related hedged financial instruments are settled. The forward contracts are accounted for as off-balance sheet items
and are only recognised when one of the following events occurs: the anticipated transaction is realised; the hedged
item is settled; the hedging relationship ceases to be effective; or, the hedging relationship designation is terminated.
Any derivative financial instrument held by the Corporation that is not or no longer designated as an eligible hedge
is carried at fair value on the balance sheet, and any change in the fair value is charged or credited to the statement
of operations and equity.
G. Inventory
(i) Program Inventory
Programs completed and in process of production are stated at cost. Cost includes the cost of materials and
services, and labour and overhead expenses applicable to programs. Program costs are charged to operations as
the programs are broadcast, deemed unusable, or sold.
The Corporation enters into contracts for independent productions, film and script rights. The payments made
under the terms of each contract are recorded as prepaid expenses and recorded as program inventory when the
following criteria are met: cost is determined, material is accepted and program is available for broadcast. Cost
is charged to operations in accordance with the approved program schedule, when deemed unusable or sold.
(ii) Other Inventory
Independent productions for which a payment is due and which do not meet the program inventory criteria,
and various inventory from the Merchandising Division stated at the lower of cost and the net realisable value,
are presented as other inventory.
H. Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost. The cost of assets constructed by the Corporation includes material,
direct labour and related overhead. Amounts included in uncompleted capital projects are transferred to the
appropriate property and equipment classification upon completion, and are then amortised. Amortisation is
calculated on the straight-line method using rates based on the estimated useful life of the property and equipment,
as follows:
68
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
BUILDINGS
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
TRANSMITTERS AND TOWERS
OTHER
FURNISHINGS AND OFFICE EQUIPMENT
COMPUTERS
33 YEARS
20 YEARS
5 YEARS
10 YEARS
MAINFRAME COMPUTERS (HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE)
5 YEARS
MICROCOMPUTERS (HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE)
3 YEARS
AUTOMOTIVE
UTILITY VEHICLES, VANS
5 YEARS
8 YEARS
SNOWMOBILES, ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLES
10 YEARS
TELEVISION AND RADIO NEWS TRUCKS, 5-TON AND 10-TON HEAVY TRUCKS
12 YEARS
SPECIALISED VEHICLES
20 YEARS
Leasehold improvements are capitalised and amortised over the terms of the respective leases.
I. Net Investment in Sales-type Leases
Assets leased under terms that transfer substantially all of the benefits and risks of ownership to the lessee are
accounted for as sales-type leases.
Finance income from sales-type leases is recognised in a manner that produces a constant rate of return on the
investment in the leases. The investment in the leases for purposes of income recognition is composed of net
minimum lease payments and unearned finance income.
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
AUTOMOBILES, CARS AND MINIVANS
Initial costs incurred as a result of an operating lease are amortised over the period of the lease. Other deferred
charges are amortised over the period of the respective agreements.
K. Long-term Investments
Investments in entities over which the Corporation does not exercise significant influence are recorded using the
cost method. Investments in entities over which the Corporation exercises significant influence are accounted for
using the equity method. Under this method, the Corporation’s investment is initially recorded at cost and adjusted
thereafter to include the Corporation’s pro rata share of earnings of the investee. The amount of the adjustment is
included in other income.
Long-term investments also include marketable securities and bonds with original maturity dates in excess of
12 months from the balance sheet date.
L. Pension Cost and Obligation
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
J. Deferred Charges
The Corporation provides pensions based on length of service and final average earnings as classified under defined
benefit retirement pension arrangements.
The cost of pension benefits earned by employees is determined on an actuarial basis using the projected benefit
method pro-rated on service and Management’s best assumptions such as the expected long-term rate of return on
plan assets, rate of compensation, inflation, retirement ages of employees, and mortality of members.
69
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
The pension costs are determined using the cost of employee pension benefits for the current year’s service, the
interest cost on the accrued benefit obligation, the expected investment return on the actuarial value of plan assets,
the amortisation of the transitional asset, the amortisation of net actuarial gains and losses, and the amortisation of
past service costs. The market-related value of plan assets is used for the purpose of calculating the expected return
on plan assets. The method used to determine the market-related value consists of spreading a given year’s realised
and unrealised capital gains and losses uniformly over that year and the three subsequent years.
Actuarial gains (losses) on plan assets arise from the difference between the actual return on plan assets for a
period and the expected return on plan assets for that period. Actuarial gains (losses) on the accrued benefit
obligation arise from differences between actual and expected experience and from changes in the actuarial
assumptions used to determine the accrued benefit obligation. The net accumulated actuarial gains (losses) are
amortised over the average remaining service period of active employees. The average remaining service period of
the active employees covered by the pension plans is between 9.3 and 13.5 years (2005 – between 9 and 13.5 years).
On April 1, 2000, the Corporation adopted the new accounting standard on employee future benefits using the
prospective application method. The Corporation is amortising the transitional pension asset on a straight-line basis
over 13.5 years, which was the average remaining service period of the active employees expected to receive benefits
under the Pension Plan as of April 1, 2000.
Past service costs arising from plan amendments are deferred and amortised on a straight-line basis over the average
remaining service period of employees active at the date of amendment.
M. Employee Future Benefits Other than Pensions
The Corporation provides employee future benefits such as termination and other benefits including continuation
of benefits coverage for employees on long-term disability, post-retirement life insurance and workers’ compensation.
The cost of these benefits is determined on an actuarial basis using the projected benefit method pro-rated on
service and Management’s best assumptions such as salary increases, inflation, retirement ages of employees,
mortality of members, and expected health care costs.
For employee termination benefits and post-retirement life insurance, the transitional obligation and the net
actuarial gains or losses are amortised over the average remaining service period of the employee group. The
transitional obligation and the net actuarial gains or losses for continuation of benefits for employees on long-term
disability and workers’ compensation are amortised over the expected average remaining duration of payments.
The amortisation periods used for these plans are between 7.6 and 13.5 years (2005 – between 4 and 13 years).
Since a major portion of the liabilities for these items represents costs, which will be funded mainly from
appropriations received from the Government of Canada in the future, these items do not have an impact on the
Corporation’s current net results of operations on a government funding basis.
N. Income Taxes
The Corporation follows the asset and liability method of accounting for income taxes. Future income tax assets
and liabilities are recognised for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the
consolidated financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.
The rates used to calculate the future income tax assets and liabilities are the enacted or substantively enacted
tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled.
If realisation of future income tax assets is considered more unlikely than likely, a valuation allowance is provided.
70
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
O. Revenue Recognition
(i) Advertising and Program Sales
Revenues from the sale of advertising airtime are recognised when the advertisement has been broadcast.
Revenues from the sale of programs by the Main Channels to third-party broadcasters are recognised when
the sale of goods or the rendering of services is completed.
(ii) Specialty Services
Revenues from Specialty Services include the sale of advertising airtime, subscriber revenues, and the sale of
programs by the Specialty channels to third-party broadcasters. Revenues from the sale of advertising airtime
are recognised when the advertisement has been broadcast. Revenues from program sales and subscriber fees
are recognised when the sale of goods or the rendering of services is completed.
Other income includes revenues from the leasing of space, facilities and services; activities such as host
broadcaster; commercial productions sales; and gains from disposal of property and equipment. These are
recognised when the sale of goods or the rendering of services is completed. Other income also includes
changes in equity from investments in companies subject to significant influence.
(iv) Financing Income
Financing income includes interest revenues from bank accounts, short-term investments, investments in salestype leases, and notes receivable.
P. Measurement Uncertainty
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
(iii) Other Income
Q. Future Accounting Changes
In January 2005, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) issued the following three accounting
standards, which will become effective in 2007–2008:
Section 3855: Financial Instruments – Recognition and Measurement – This standard sets out criteria for the
recognition, derecognition, measurement and classification of financial instruments. The Corporation will be
required to categorise its financial assets as held for trading, held to maturity, available for sale, or as loans and
receivables. The related accounting treatment will be dependent on the classification. Financial assets categorised
as held for trading or available for sale are to be measured at fair value while financial assets held to maturity, loans
and receivables are measured at amortised cost.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles
requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities
at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses for the year. Employeerelated liabilities, estimated useful lives of property and equipment and contingent liabilities are the most significant
items where estimates are used. Actual results could significantly differ from those estimated.
Section 3865: Hedges – Derivatives will be classified as held for trading unless designated as hedging instruments.
All derivatives, including embedded derivatives that are not closely related to the host contract, will be measured at
fair value. For derivatives that hedge the changes in fair value of an asset or liability, changes in the derivatives’ fair
value will be reported in the net results and offset by changes in the fair value of the hedged asset or liability. For
derivatives that hedge variability in cash flows, the effective portion of changes in the derivatives’ fair value will be
initially recognised in the new category, Other Comprehensive Income, and will subsequently be reclassified to net
results in the periods affected by the variability in the cash flows of the hedged item.
71
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
2. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (CONTINUED)
Section 1530: Comprehensive Income – This standard requires certain gains and losses, that would otherwise be
recorded as part of net results, to be presented in other comprehensive income until it is considered appropriate
that they be recognised in net results. The Corporation may be required to present a new financial statement titled
Comprehensive Income to record such amounts until they are realised.
The Corporation is in the process of determining the impact these standards will have on its financial reporting.
3. CHANGE IN ACCOUNTING POLICY
On April 1, 2005, the Corporation adopted the Accounting Guideline 15, Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities.
This guideline requires the application of consolidation principles to certain entities that are subject to control on a
basis other than ownership of voting interests (NOTE 11).
This change in accounting policy has been applied retroactively but did not result in any adjustment to the opening
equity. The impacts are as follows:
2006
2005
2005
restated
as previously stated
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Obligation under capital lease
Bonds payable, including accrued interest
142,231
17,766
112,934
17,462
124,016
6,380
-
342,348
349,216
349,216
-
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
Obligation under capital lease
Bonds payable
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
Repayment of capital lease obligation
Repayment of bonds payable
(6,378)
(5,927)
(5,927)
-
NOTE 7: PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Property under capital lease
Buildings
459,089
481,841
327,656
154,185
4. SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS
The average yield to maturity of the portfolio held as at March 31, 2006, is 3.18 per cent (2005 – 2.56 per cent).
The average term to maturity is 158 days (2005 – 227 days).
The Corporation invests in the short-term money market and securities. These investments are limited to securities
that are 100 per cent guaranteed by the Government of Canada.
5. INVENTORY
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Program inventory
Other inventory
72
141,505
4,079
120,709
4,242
145,584
124,951
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
6. NET INVESTMENT IN SALES-TYPE LEASES
The Corporation’s net investment in sales-type leases includes the following:
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Total minimum lease payments receivable
Unearned income
130,154
(62,832)
Current portion
67,322
(1,771)
LONG-TERM PORTION
65,551
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 to 2027
6,050
6,050
6,050
6,050
6,050
99,904
130,154
TOTAL FUTURE MINIMUM LEASE PAYMENTS RECEIVABLE
These sales-type leases bear a fixed interest rate of 7.15 per cent annually. The interest revenues generated from
these sales-type leases represent $4.8 million in 2006 (2005 – $4.8 million).
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Future minimum lease payments receivable under the sales-type leases are as follows:
7. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
2006
2005
COST
ACCUMULATED
AMORTISATION
NET BOOK VALUE
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Land
Buildings
Technical equipment
Furnishings, office equipment
and computers
Automotive
Leasehold improvements
Uncompleted capital projects
1
21,727
888,995
1,293,932
(429,906)
(972,624)
21,727
459,089
321,308
21,006
481,841
328,805
137,354
50,294
44,231
75,435
(91,354)
(36,477)
(9,958)
-
46,000
13,817
34,273
75,435
41,320
13,721
34,998
61,345
2,511,968
(1,540,319)
971,649
983,036 1
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
(restated, Note 3)
Cost and accumulated amortisation of property and equipment as at March 31, 2005, amounted to $2,430.3 million and $1,447.3 million
respectively.
8. LONG-TERM RECEIVABLES
A. Notes Receivable
The Corporation has two long-term notes receivable following the sales of lands. These notes bear a fixed interest
rate of 7.15 per cent annually.
73
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
8. LONG-TERM RECEIVABLES (CONTINUED)
Future minimum payments receivable under the term of the notes are as follows:
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 to 2027
5,567
5,567
5,567
5,567
5,567
90,007
TOTAL FUTURE MINIMUM PAYMENTS – NOTES RECEIVABLE
117,842
Deduct: imputed interest
(56,328)
NOTES RECEIVABLE
61,514
Less: current portion (included in accounts receivable)
(1,659)
NOTES RECEIVABLE LONG-TERM
59,855
B. Salary Advances – Change in Payroll
The implementation of a new payroll system in fiscal year 1998-1999 required a change in the payroll schedule
of the Corporation. To adjust to this schedule without compromising the bi-weekly payments to employees,
the Corporation issued a salary advance to be recovered upon termination of employment. This salary advance
represents $12.2 million in 2006 (2005 – $12.8 million).
9. LONG-TERM INVESTMENTS
During the 2006 fiscal year, the Corporation acquired ownership interests in Sirius Canada Inc., an investment in
two types of shares: class A shares, an investment over which the Corporation exercises significant influence and is
accounted for using the equity method; and class C shares, an investment presented at cost.
2006
SIGNIFICANT
INFLUENCE
OTHER
2005
TOTAL
SIGNIFICANT
INFLUENCE
OTHER
TOTAL
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
74
ARTV – participation at 37%
The Documentary Channel –
participation at 29%1
Sirius Canada Inc.2–3
Marketable securities and bonds4
Portfolio investments
Total
3,753
-
3,753
4,016
-
4,016
(6,846)
-
7,000
17
154
17
-
34,360
17
34,360
17
(3,093)
7,017
3,924
4,016
34,377
38,393
1
The Corporation has not recorded a portion of The Documentary Channel’s losses since the Corporation does not assume any financial risk
relating to The Documentary Channel.
2
The Corporation has invested $25.05 in class A shares, which represents a 25.05 per cent participation. Those shares are entitled to receive
dividends in equal amounts per share.
3
The Corporation invested $7 million in class C shares, which are entitled to a preferential cumulative dividend of 8 per cent per annum on the
redemption price. These shares may be redeemed at any time by Sirius Canada Inc.
4
This year there is no investment of this type. The Corporation could invest in the long-term money market and securities. These investments
would be limited to securities and bonds that are 100 per cent guaranteed by the Go vernment of Canada.
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
10. PENSION PLANS AND EMPLOYEE-RELATED LIABILITIES
Employee-related liabilities are as follows:
2006
2005
2006
CURRENT
2005
LONG-TERM
-
-
154,836
97,321
56,634
23,536
87,077
51,708
16,232
107,003
143,140
254
133,007
278
167,247
174,943
298,230
230,606
A. CBC | Radio-Canada Pension Plans and Other Employee Future Benefits
The Corporation maintains a contributory defined benefit pension plan, the CBC/Radio-Canada Pension Plan,
covering substantially all employees of the Corporation. Retirement benefits are based on the length of
pensionable service and on the average of the best five consecutive years of pensionable salary in the last ten years
of employment. Employees are required to contribute a percentage of their pensionable salary to the Plan, with the
Corporation providing the balance of the funding, as required, based on actuarial valuations, which are made at
least on a triennial basis (latest evaluation made in December 2005) and the next required valuation will be as of
December 2006. The Corporation also maintains unfunded non-contributory defined benefit pension arrangements.
The measurement date for the pension plan assets and the accrued benefit obligation is March 31.
2006
2005
6.75%
5.00%
5.00%
6.75%
4.75%
5.00%
3.45%
8.5% for 5 years;
4.5% thereafter
2.7%
4.00%
8.5% for 5 years;
4.5% thereafter
2.7%
2006
2005
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Accrued pension benefit
liability (NOTE A)
Employee future benefits other
than pensions (NOTE A)
Vacation pay
Workforce reduction (NOTE B)
Salary-related liabilities
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets
Discount rate – beginning of year
Discount rate – end of year
Long-term rate of compensation increase,
excluding merit and promotion
Health care cost trend rate
Indexation of pensions in payment
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
ASSUMPTIONS – ANNUAL RATES
ANNUAL AMOUNT
Employee contributions
Benefit payments for the year – pension plans
Benefit payments for the year – other employee future benefits
36,689
181,649
12,007
37,517
175,718
9,172
75
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
10. PENSION PLANS AND EMPLOYEE-RELATED LIABILITIES (CONTINUED)
2006
CBC | RADIO-CANADA
PENSION PLANS
2005
OTHER EMPLOYEE
FUTURE BENEFITS
CBC | RADIO-CANADA
PENSION PLANS
OTHER EMPLOYEE
FUTURE BENEFITS
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Fair value of plan assets, end of year
Accrued benefit obligation, end of year
SURPLUS (DEFICIT), END OF YEAR
4,154,560
(4,138,509)
16,051
(161,626)
3,753,550
(4,250,824)
(174,141)
(161,626)
(497,274)
(174,141)
Unamortised past service costs
Unamortised net actuarial losses
Unamortised transitional (asset) obligation
71,978
455,400
(698,265)
(4,187)
933
21,740
81,575
1,109,639
(791,261)
(4,606)
20,377
25,363
ACCRUED BENEFIT LIABILITY, END OF YEAR
(154,836)
(143,140)
(97,321)
(133,007)
(97,321)
(133,007)
(35,367)
(118,423)
ACCRUED BENEFIT LIABILITY, BEGINNING OF YEAR
EMPLOYEE FUTURE BENEFITS REVENUES (COSTS)
Current service cost
Interest on accrued benefit obligation
Expected return on actuarial value of assets
Amortisation of past service costs
Amortisation of transitional
asset (obligation)
Amortisation of actuarial losses
(82,185)
(210,972)
236,162
(9,597)
(8,314)
(8,450)
419
(93,680)
(200,870)
236,538
(9,597)
(8,969)
(8,558)
-
92,996
(134,473)
(3,607)
(2,188)
92,996
(135,293)
(3,618)
(2,611)
EMPLOYEE FUTURE BENEFITS COSTS FOR THE YEAR
(108,069)
(22,140)
(109,906)
(23,756)
Corporation pension plan contributions
Benefit payments for unfunded plans
49,638
916
12,007
47,060
892
9,172
TOTAL CASH PAYMENTS
50,554
12,007
47,952
9,172
(154,836)
(143,140)
(97,321)
ACCRUED BENEFIT LIABILITY, END OF YEAR
(133,007)
As at March 31, 2006, the accrued benefit obligation for the CBC | Radio-Canada Pension Plan and for the
unfunded benefit pension arrangements represented respectively $4,089.1 million (2005 – $4,204.6 million) and
$49.5 million (2005 – $46.2 million).
2006
ASSET CATEGORY
Fixed income
Canadian equities
Global equities
Strategic
76
2005
PERCENTAGE OF PLAN ASSETS
(BASED ON FAIR VALUES)
51%
15%
21%
13%
34%
29%
26%
11%
100%
100%
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
10. PENSION PLANS AND EMPLOYEE-RELATED LIABILITIES (CONTINUED)
B. Workforce Reduction
The Corporation decided to cease most of its Design Operations in the Toronto Production Centre. These staff
reductions represent a liability of $8 million. The balance of the liability is for various reductions throughout the
Corporation.
11. VARIABLE INTEREST ENTITIES
The Corporation holds a variable interest in Sirius Canada Inc., also a VIE, but the Corporation is not deemed
to be the primary beneficiary. The Corporation’s maximum exposure to losses includes its initial investment of
$7 million plus a commitment to invest an additional $6.4 million; and an amount of $2.1 million of licensing
revenues annually. This investment is accounted for using the equity method for class A shares and the cost method
for class C shares (NOTE 9).
The investment the Corporation holds in The Documentary Channel also qualifies as a variable interest in a VIE,
but the Corporation is not the primary beneficiary. The Corporation’s maximum exposure to losses is $644,000 in
amounts receivable. This investment is accounted for using the equity method (NOTE 9).
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
The Corporation is deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the Broadcast Centre Trust (the Trust) and has
implemented AcG-15 retroactively with restatement of the prior period. The Trust is a charitable trust that is a
lessee under a long-term lease with the Corporation for the land on which the Canadian Broadcasting Centre
(the building) is located in Toronto. The rent during the term is the sum of one dollar, paid on October 1, 1988.
The Trust is also a lessor under a long-term sublease with the Corporation for the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.
In order to finance the construction of the building, the Trust issued $400 million of bonds on January 30, 1997.
The rent payable by the Corporation to the Trust covers all interest and principal on the bonds, all other payments
on the bonds and all operating expenses and liabilities of the Trust. The impact of consolidating the Trust in the
Corporation’s financial statements is on the presentation of property and equipment (NOTE 7), where the costs
related to the Canadian Broadcasting Centre are shown under the buildings category rather than property under
capital lease. There is also an impact on the balance sheet where the obligation under capital lease is replaced by
bonds payable (NOTE 12).
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
Under the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Accounting Guideline 15 (AcG-15), Variable Interest
Entities (VIE) are defined as entities that do not have sufficient equity at risk to finance their activities without
additional subordinated financial support, or where the equity holders lack the overall characteristics of a
controlling financial interest. The guideline requires that a VIE be consolidated with the financial results of the
entity deemed to be the primary beneficiary of the majority of the VIEs’ expected losses and its expected residual
returns, or both.
77
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
12. BONDS PAYABLE
The Corporation, through its relationship with the Broadcast Centre Trust (NOTE 11), guarantees the bonds payable
with its rent payments for the premises occupied by the Corporation in Toronto. The Trust issued $400 million in
secured bonds on January 30, 1997. These bonds bear a fixed interest rate of 7.53 per cent annually and require
blended semi-annual payments of $16,519,398, which will retire the following principal amounts:
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
2007 (including accrued interest of $10,896)
2008
2009
2010
2011 to 2027
17,766
7,397
7,964
8,575
318,412
Less: current portion
360,114
17,766
342,348
The fair value of the bonds (NOTE 21) approximates $459 million (2005 – $454 million). Interest expense included
in current year’s expense is $26.6 million (2005 – $27 million).
13. DEFERRED CAPITAL FUNDING
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
BALANCE, BEGINNING OF YEAR
Government funding for capital expenditures (NOTE 17C)
Amortisation of deferred capital funding
BALANCE, END OF YEAR
629,987
87,510
(117,956)
650,959
95,757
(116,729)
599,541
629,987
14. COMMITMENTS
A. Program-related and Other
As at March 31, 2006, commitments for sports rights amounted to $202.6 million (2005 – $267.9 million);
procured programs, film rights and co-productions amounted to $61.5 million (2005 – $71.0 million) and property
and equipment amounted to $13.4 million (2005 – $14.1 million) for total commitments of $277.5 million (2005 –
$353.0 million). Substantially, payments under these contracts are expected to be made over the next five years.
78
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
14. COMMITMENTS (CONTINUED)
B. Operating Leases
The operating leases consist mainly of property leases, network distribution leases and equipment leases. Future
annual payments related to operating leases as of March 31, 2006, are as follows:
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012 to 2027
108,917
77,971
47,677
41,595
39,279
207,353
TOTAL FUTURE PAYMENTS
522,792
Various claims and legal proceedings have been asserted or instituted against the Corporation. Some demand large
monetary damages or other relief and they could result in significant expenditures. Litigation is subject to many
uncertainties and the outcome of individual matters is not predictable. A provision for these expenditures has been
recorded based on Management’s best estimate. It is reasonably possible that the Corporation may have to settle
some of these claims for amounts in excess of established provisions in the near term. Any such costs will be
expensed when known.
16. SPECIALTY SERVICES
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
15. CONTINGENCIES
2006
2005
REPAYMENTS
TO MAIN
SERVICE1
REVENUES
EXPENSES
NET
76,139
44,907
20,235
2,984
(72,982)
(44,000)
(6,717)
(2,649)
(3,262)
(1,591)
(64)
-
(105)
(684)
13,454
335
144,265 (126,348)
(4,917)
13,000
REVENUES
EXPENSES
REPAYMENTS
TO MAIN
SERVICE1
NET
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
CBC Newsworld2
RDI2
Galaxie
CBC Country Canada
74,281
44,271
17,217
2,519
(67,261)
(43,550)
(6,644)
(3,207)
(1,665)
(2,143)
-
5,355
(1,422)
10,573
(688)
138,288 (120,662)
(3,808)
13,818
1
Capital expenditures for the acquisition of equipment to introduce, maintain and expand the Specialty Services are made by the Corporation
from its capital appropriation with an appro ved Corporate repayment plan for reco very from the Specialty Services’ revenues. Those repayments
are funded from the accumulated excess revenues over expenses.
2
CBC Newsworld and RDI use previous years’ accumulated excess revenues over expenses to fund current activities.
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
The Corporation operates CBC Newsworld, the Réseau de l’information de Radio-Canada (RDI), Galaxie, and
CBC Country Canada under license conditions that require the reporting of incremental costs and revenues.
Subscriber revenues generated by the Specialty Services are subject to the subscriber rate regulation established
by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).
79
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
17. PARLIAMENTARY APPROPRIATIONS
A. Parliamentary Appropriations Approved and Received
Parliamentary appropriations approved and the amounts received by the Corporation during the year are as follows:
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
OPERATING FUNDING
Approved annual funding
Additional non-recurring funding
for programming initiatives (NOTE 17D)
Transfer from capital funding – Supplementary Estimates B1
Frozen allotment reprofiled to future years
Frozen allotment used
OPERATING FUNDING RECEIVED
946,231
895,659
60,000
(20,000)
20,000
60,000
1,112
(20,000)
-
1,006,231
936,771
CAPITAL FUNDING
Approved annual funding
Transfer to operating funding – Supplementary Estimates B1
Frozen allotment reprofiled to future years
Frozen allotment used
91,510
(10,000)
6,000
102,869
(1,112)
(6,000)
-
CAPITAL FUNDING RECEIVED
87,510
95,757
WORKING CAPITAL FUNDING
4,000
4,000
1
80
In the event that significant changes in current year requirements occur, appropriations are transferred from one vote to another or reprofiled
from one fiscal year to another through Appropriation Acts appro ved by Parliament.
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
17. PARLIAMENTARY APPROPRIATIONS (CONTINUED)
B. Reconciliation of Net Results of Operations to Government Funding Basis
The Corporation receives a significant portion of its funding through Parliamentary appropriations, based
primarily on cash flow requirements. Expenses recognised in the Statement of Operations and Equity in one year
may be funded through Parliamentary appropriations in other years. Accordingly, the Corporation’s net results
of operations for the year on a government funding basis differ from those on a Canadian generally accepted
accounting principles basis. The differences are outlined as follows:
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
NET RESULTS FOR THE YEAR
(44,187)
(113,652)
(117,956)
434
177
(116,729)
(7,293)
(3,631)
(117,345)
(127,653)
123,841
67,648
( 253)
(8,301)
122,675
75,592
(1,760)
(5,852)
7,109
(567)
(137)
668
ITEMS NOT REQUIRING OPERATING FUNDS
Amortisation of property and equipment
CBC | Radio-Canada pension plans and other employee future benefits
Vacation pay
Program inventory costs
Loss (income) from investments in companies
subject to significant influence
Other
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS ON A GOVERNMENT FUNDING BASIS
Less: Interest generated from the disposal of joint business ventures
Add: Use of proceeds, generated in a previous fiscal year,
from the sale of lands
Add: Use of proceeds, generated in a previous fiscal year,
from the sale of joint business venture
189,477
191,186
27,945
(50,119)
(890)
(1,012)
-
5,194
546
42,718
NET RESULTS OF OPERATIONS ON A GOVERNMENT FUNDING BASIS
27,601
(3,219)
GOVERNMENT FUNDING SURPLUS, BEGINNING OF YEAR
32,033
35,252
GOVERNMENT FUNDING SURPLUS, END OF YEAR
59,634
32,033
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
Amortisation of deferred capital funding
Loss (Gain) on disposal of property and equipment
Other
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
ITEMS NOT GENERATING OPERATING FUNDS
C. Net Results for Capital Funding
The purchase of property and equipment is financed by Parliamentary appropriations and proceeds from the
disposal of property and equipment. Additions and proceeds, relating to property and equipment, recorded in the
current year under Canadian generally accepted accounting principles may be funded/recognised on a government
funding basis in different years. The differences are outlined as follows:
81
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
17. PARLIAMENTARY APPROPRIATIONS (CONTINUED)
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Capital funding received (NOTE 17A)
Capital recovery from notes receivable
Capital recovery from net investment in sales-type leases
Proceeds from the disposal of property and equipment
87,510
1,575
1,285
1,848
95,757
5,329
1,198
12,298
92,218
(116,067)
(6,378)
114,582
(118,404)
(5,927)
Add (deduct): Considerations affecting capital funds
(30,227)
196
(9,749)
(1,707)
CAPITAL FUNDING DEFICIT FOR THE YEAR
(30,031)
(11,456)
10,187
21,643
(19,844)
10,187
TOTAL CAPITAL FUNDING FOR THE YEAR
Acquisition of property and equipment
Capital portion of bond payments
CAPITAL DEFICIT BEFORE ADJUSTMENTS FOR CONSIDERATIONS AFFECTING CAPITAL FUNDS
CAPITAL FUNDING SURPLUS, BEGINNING OF YEAR, GOVERNMENT FUNDING BASIS
CAPITAL FUNDING (DEFICIT) SURPLUS, END OF YEAR, GOVERNMENT FUNDING BASIS1
1
Transfers between operating and capital are accomplished through Supplementary Estimates B in the fiscal year to which they relate. Due to the
fact that Parliament was dissolved on No vember 29, 2005, for a general election, planned transfers in the amount of $31.1 million in fiscal year
2005–2006 did not take place.
D. Additional Non-recurring Funding for Programming Initiatives
On April 3, 2003, the Government of Canada approved additional non-recurring funding of $60 million for the
Corporation for the 2004–2005 fiscal year. This funding was again approved in February 2005 for the 2005–2006
fiscal year. These funds are being used across all media for the enhancement of programming initiatives in
particular.
18. INCOME AND LARGE CORPORATIONS TAXES
The Corporation is a prescribed Federal Crown Corporation under Part LXXI of the Income Tax Regulations and is
subject to the provisions of the Income Tax Act (Canada). The Corporation’s activities are not subject to provincial
taxes. The (provision for) recovery of income and large corporations taxes is comprised of:
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Current income tax (provision) recovery
(272)
974
The (provision for) recovery of income and large corporations taxes differs from the amount that would be
computed by applying the Federal statutory income tax rate of 32.5 per cent (2005 – 32.5 per cent) to net results
before taxes. The reasons for the differences are as follows:
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Income tax provision at Federal statutory rate
Increase (decrease) resulting from:
Non-deductible (non-taxable) portion of capital losses (gains)
Other net amounts
Change in valuation allowance
Large corporations tax (provision) recovery
(14,281)
(37,276)
1,025
423
12,833
(272)
(1,422)
385
38,313
974
(272)
82
974
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
18. INCOME AND LARGE CORPORATIONS TAXES (CONTINUED)
The tax effects of temporary differences that gave rise to significant portions of the future tax assets and future
liabilities as at March 31, 2006 and 2005 are presented below:
2006
2005
Future tax assets
Accrued liabilities
Pension plan asset
Employee-related liabilities
Loss carry-forward
Long-term investments
6,010
50,353
46,632
6,995
1,163
9,312
31,649
43,344
16,421
8
Less: valuation allowance
111,153
(66,205)
100,734
(53,372)
44,948
47,362
1,499
18,513
21,248
3,688
1,066
18,868
21,896
5,532
44,948
47,362
-
-
Future tax liabilities
Program inventory
Net investment in sales-type leases
Property and equipment
Notes receivable
Net future tax liabilities (assets)
STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
19. NET CHANGE IN NON-CASH WORKING CAPITAL BALANCES
2006
2005
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
CASH FLOWS PROVIDED BY (USED FOR)
Short-term investments
Accounts receivable1
Inventory2
Prepaid expenses
Net investment in sales-type leases3
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Employee-related liabilities4
Bonds payable, including accrued interest5
1
Excluding $0.3 million (2005 – $3.8 million) of notes receivable from the sale of lands.
2
Excluding $1.3 million (2005 – $2.0 million) of amortisation of property and equipment.
3
Excluding capital reco very of $0.09 million (2005 – $0.09 million).
4
Excluding items not involving cash of $0.4 million (2005 – $1.6 million).
5
Excluding repayment of bonds payable of $0.5 million (2005 – $0.5 million).
(10,864)
(53,005)
(19,302)
(495)
7
29,297
(7,312)
(186)
(26,470)
1,953
(14,758)
10,518
7
(9,923)
11,180
(211)
(61,860)
(27,704)
CBC | RADIO-CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2005–2006
As at March 31, 2006, the Corporation had a loss carry-forward for tax purposes of $21.5 million
(2005 – $42.3 million), which expires as follows: 2010 – $3.1 million, 2014 – $5.6 million, 2015 – $12.8 million.
83
N O T E S T O T H E C O N S O L I D AT E D F I N A N C I A L S TAT E M E N T S
FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2006
20. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Corporation is related in terms of common ownership to other government departments, agencies and
Crown Corporations and to private companies over which the Corporation has significant influence (NOTE 9).
The Corporation enters into transactions with these related parties in the normal course of business, on normal
trade terms applicable to all individuals and enterprises and measured at the exchange amount, which is the
amount of consideration established and agreed to by the related parties.
The Corporation recorded the following amounts in the financial statements for transactions with related parties:
GOVERNMENT
PRIVATE COMPANIES
(THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS)
Revenues
Receivables
Expenses
Payables
6,331
1,091
11,679
130
4,652
1,838
101
-
During the year, the Corporation also received funding from the Government of Canada as described in Note 17.
21. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The carrying amounts for the bank overdraft, short-term investments, accounts receivable, current portion of net
investment in sales-type leases, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, and accrued bonds payable interest, approximate
fair value due to the short-term nature of these instruments. The fair values of the long-term portion of net
investment in sales-type leases and long-term portion of notes receivable, and the bonds payable are listed below.
INSTRUMENT
FAIR VALUES
2006
METHOD
2005
(MILLIONS OF DOLLARS)
Long-term portion of net
investment in sales-type leases
Long-term portion of notes receivable
Bonds payable
70.3
64.1
459.0
70.1
63.9
454.0
Valuation technique
Valuation technique
Quoted market prices for Government of
Canada bonds maturing at approximately
May 1, 2027, and adjusted by a spread
based on the credit rating for the bonds.
The Corporation uses derivative financial instruments such as forward contracts to manage the risk of loss due to
adverse movements in foreign exchange. Foreign exchange forward contracts with a notional principal amount of
$55.9 million (2005 – $81.8 million) were outstanding at the end of the year. The fair value, based upon market
quotations, represents $60.2 million (2005 – $87.4 million) at March 31, 2006. The remaining term to maturity
of these contracts is under three years.
BC1-2006
0-662-49387-7
Publication and Distribution
If the daily bank balance is in an overdraft position, interest charges are accumulated at prime less 0.25 per cent.
22. COMPARATIVE FIGURES
Some of the 2005 comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.
Corporate Communications
CBC|Radio-Canada
181 Queen Street
PO Box 3220, Station C
Ottawa, Ontario
K1Y 1E4
613-288-6000
[email protected]
CBC.Radio-Canada.ca
Design: Utopia Communications
84